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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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592 results for: Maritime

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Image of East-facing view of Seattle and the Alaskan, 1888
Photograph

East-facing view of Seattle and the Alaskan, 1888

Seattle in the 1880s was a rapidly growing city, aided in no small part by the 1883 connection with the Northern Pacific Railway Company. Lumber and coal were the primary industries, but the growth of fishing, wholesale trade, shipbuilding, and shipping also contributed to the town's economic expansion and population growth. The Seattle City Census of 1888 records population at…
ID Number:SHS201
Date:1888
Image of Indigenous woman and canoe at the Seattle waterfront, 1898
Photograph

Indigenous woman and canoe at the Seattle waterfront, 1898

Indigenous people from many parts of the Pacific Northwest came to Seattle to trade and buy supplies. In this photo, a woman holding a basket stands by a large canoe at the Seattle waterfront. The design of the canoe and her hat suggest that she is from one of the First Nations in Vancouver Island or another part of coastal…
ID Number:SHS321
Date:1898
Image of West Seattle grain elevator, circa 1895
Photograph

West Seattle grain elevator, circa 1895

Colonel Thomas Ewing, the major developer of West Seattle, foresaw a great industrial center on the peninsula. In 1890, Ewing built a grain elevator and hailed it as the key to Seattle's future as a worldwide grain exporter. Ewing convinced the Northern Pacific Railroad to build a trestle across the tide flats to reach his grain elevator. The railroad carried…
ID Number:SHS1053
Date:Circa 1895
Image of Steamboat
Photograph

Steamboat "Bailey Gatzert" at yard, circa 1890

The "Bailey Gatzert," named for an early Seattle businessman and mayor, was launched in Ballard in 1890. The luxury sternwheeler carried passengers on the Columbia River and Puget Sound and was one of the fastest vessels of its day. In 1920, the "Bailey Gatzert" became the first vessel to be rebuilt specifically for ferrying automobiles on Puget Sound. The ferry…
ID Number:SHS1076
Date:Circa 1890
Image of Steamer
Photograph

Steamer "Queen" and ice floes at Taku Inlet, 1897

Steamers carrying gold seekers north from Seattle during icy weather didn't always have an easy time of it. Alaska's Inland Passage could be tricky and dangerous, and channels weren't always marked.In this 1897 photo, the steamer "Queen" is stuck on a sandbar in Taku Inlet, southeast of Juneau. The vessel waited for six hours in the ice before it floated…
ID Number:SHS1512
Date:1897
Image of U.S.S. Nebraska launching October 7, 1904
Photograph

U.S.S. Nebraska launching October 7, 1904

In 1904, the Moran Brothers shipyard in Seattle launched the battleship "Nebraska." This vessel was the first steel ship to be built on Puget Sound and the first naval battleship to be built in the Pacific Northwest. At the launching, bands played, people cheered, dignitaries made speeches, and the daughter of the Governor of Nebraska christened the vessel with a…
ID Number:SHS2042
Date:1904
Image of Steamship
Photograph

Steamship "Queen" and schooner at Seattle pier, circa 1898

So many people wanted to go north to the gold fields of the Klondike region that all sorts of boats and ships were pressed into service. Some were more seaworthy than others.This photo, taken in 1898 or 1899 shows a group of men at the Seattle waterfront looking at the steamer "Queen" (right) and a small wooden schooner (left). The…
ID Number:SHS2075
Date:Circa 1898
Image of Chesheeahud and others in a canoe on Lake Union, Seattle, circa 1885
Photograph

Chesheeahud and others in a canoe on Lake Union, Seattle, circa 1885

Chesheeahud (also spelled Cheshiahud) was a Duwamish chief and guide to the lakes and rivers around what is now Seattle, living between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. He led a village called hehs-KWEE-kweel (meaning Skate), at the south edge of the mouth of Union Bay onto Lake Washington. hehs-KWEE-kweel was near a vital portage used by the Duwamish between…
ID Number:SHS2228
Date:Circa 1885
Image of Crowd with steamship
Photograph

Crowd with steamship "Australia" at Seattle pier, circa 1898

Gold seekers streamed to Seattle by the thousands, eager to board ships bound for the Klondike gold fields. Seattle's shipping industry and waterfront businesses boomed during the gold rush. In March 1897, before the news of the Klondike gold finds reached Seattle, port records show that only 18 ships sailed to or from Seattle. In March 1898, with the gold…
ID Number:SHS2504
Date:Circa 1898
Image of Steamship
Photograph

Steamship "Australia" loading at Seattle pier, circa 1898

The United States was in the grip of a nationwide economic depression in the 1890s. When the steamer "Portland" arrived in Seattle in July 1897 with more than a ton of Klondike gold, the city's depression ended. Pacific Northwest shipping companies were eager to profit from the gold rush. They scrambled to provide passenger and freight service to the Alaskan…
ID Number:SHS2506
Date:Circa 1898
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Land Acknowledgement

MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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