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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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650 results for: Lake Washington

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Image of Waterfront building at Kirkland woolen mill, circa 1905
Photograph

Waterfront building at Kirkland woolen mill, circa 1905

Edward Eyanson organized Washington state's first woolen mill at Kirkland in 1892. The mill was built on the shore of Lake Washington, and workers used its pure waters in the cleaning and dyeing processes.This photo, taken sometime between 1900 and 1910, shows one of the buildings at the woolen mill at Kirkland, Washington. SHS category: Mills
ID Number:SHS9278
Date:Circa 1905
Image of David Denny at log cabin near Lake Keechelus, 1899
Photograph

David Denny at log cabin near Lake Keechelus, 1899

During the summer of 1899, Seattle pioneer David Denny supervised the improvement of 27 miles of wagon road through Snoqualmie Pass, from North Bend, Washington, to the south end of Lake Keechelus. Between the beginning of June and the end of September, workers blasted and moved rocks, built bridges, resurfaced parts of the old road with logs, and relocated the…
ID Number:SHS9441
Date:1899
Image of North-facing panorama of Fremont, Seattle, circa 1894
Photograph

North-facing panorama of Fremont, Seattle, circa 1894

Seattle's Fremont neighborhood started out as cluster of small industries on the north shore of Lake Union. This north-facing view of Fremont appears to have been taken from the eastern slope of Queen Anne Hill. The bridge at the bottom left of the frame is probably a spur of the Seattle, Lake Shore, and Eastern Railway, built in 1888 across…
ID Number:SHS10120
Date:Circa 1894
Image of Stan Sayres with his hydroplane crew, Seattle, circa 1952
Photograph

Stan Sayres with his hydroplane crew, Seattle, circa 1952

Stanley St. Claire Sayres (1896-1956) was a hydroplane racer who broke the world water speed record with his "Slo-mo-shun IV" boat. In the early 1930s, after moving to Seattle, Sayres owned the American Automobile Company, a Chrysler car dealership at 1001 Broadway in Seattle, an auto parts store in the University District, and the Jen-Cel-Lite Corporation, a manufacturer of cold…
ID Number:SHS10362
Date:Circa 1952
Image of The Orcas at Lake Washington Ship Canal, February 2, 1916
Photograph

The Orcas at Lake Washington Ship Canal, February 2, 1916

The Lake Washington Ship Canal was created to move logs, coal, and other resources directly from the east side of Lake Washington to Elliott Bay. Construction began in 1911 under Hiram M. Chittenden of the Army Corps of Engineers. The formal dedication and opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal for business was on July 4, 1917, when the SS…
ID Number:SHS10603
Date:1916
Image of Men pulling B & W into Boeing Seaplane Hangar on Lake Union, Seattle, 1916
Photograph

Men pulling B & W into Boeing Seaplane Hangar on Lake Union, Seattle, 1916

William Boeing started his airplane company in this hangar he had built on the shore of Lake Union in December 1915. The B & W seaplane, named after its designers, Boeing and Conrad Westervelt, was the first airplane produced at the small factory. The seaplane, constructed of Washington State spruce lumber, steel wire, and linen fabric, made its first successful…
ID Number:SHS11540
Date:1916
Image of Hydroplane Slo-Mo-Shun IV on Lake Washington, 1950
Photograph

Hydroplane Slo-Mo-Shun IV on Lake Washington, 1950

Stanley S. Sayres (1896-1956), the owner of the Slo-mo-shun hydroplanes, was in the automobile business and he became interested in speedboat racing in 1926 in Oregon. He commissioned designer Ted Jones to and the Jensen Motor Boat Company to construct the Slo-mo-shun IV. Jensen Motor Boat Company launched the 28-foot-long, 4,750-pound hydroplane in October 1949. Sayres established a world speed…
ID Number:SHS15962
Date:1950
Image of Shell Company gas station, Seattle, 1915
Photograph

Shell Company gas station, Seattle, 1915

This exterior image of Shell Oil Company's "Show Place" gas station was taken at Eastlake Avenue East and East Hamlin Street, looking West over Lake Union towards Queen Anne Hill. At the time gasoline sold for 12 cents per gallon. Caption information source: http://www.nacsonline.com/yourbusiness/fuelsreports/gasprices_2013/pages/100plusyearsgasolineretailing.aspx
ID Number:SHS17057
Date:1915
Image of Officers of last Volunteer Fire Department, circa 1889
Photograph

Officers of last Volunteer Fire Department, circa 1889

The creation of the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) can be traced back to July 6th, 1876, when the all-volunteer Seattle Engine Company No.1 was organized. In 1883, the City Charter was amended to create and fund equipment, but not staff, for a centralized municipal fire department. The volunteer-based system persisted until pressure from the insurance industry and citizens after the…
ID Number:SHS17710
Date:Circa 1889
Image of Ibsen family water skiing on Lake Washington, Seattle, circa 1955
Photograph

Ibsen family water skiing on Lake Washington, Seattle, circa 1955

Water skiing pioneer Donald Sylvester Ibsen (1910-1993) was a star athlete at Roosevelt High School, and made his first pair of water skis the summer he graduated, in 1928. Within 10 years he had started the Olympic Water Ski Club and created a water ski team to perform shows around the Northwest. He also appeared on the pages of Life…
ID Number:SHS19348
Date:Circa 1955
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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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