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HomeCollections and ResearchCollections Search

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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.

Download lower resolution images directly from an item page. MOHAI offers high-resolution digital reproductions of photographs and other materials from our collections for personal and professional use.

We have many more items in our collections and not everything you see online is on view at the museum. We have additional materials online at the University of Washington’s Digital Collections.

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653 results for: Urban

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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 View of Jackson Street regrade, 1910
Photograph

View of Jackson Street regrade, 1910

Before the Jackson Street regrading project, Beacon Hill formed a barrier between Seattle's waterfront and the Rainier Valley. Between 1907 and 1910, over three million cubic yards of earth were moved to make a cut through the hill. Most of the dirt was used to fill in Seattle's tidal flats.This panorama of the Jackson Street regrade area shows the project…
ID Number:SHS10792
Date:1910
Image of Workers making metal work for Smith Tower, circa 1912
Photograph

Workers making metal work for Smith Tower, circa 1912

Gaggin & Gaggin, an architectural firm in Syracuse, New York, designed Seattle's Smith Tower. Construction began in 1910, and the 42-story building opened in 1914. At that time, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.This photo, taken in 1912 or 1913 shows workmen, including one teenager, making the iron and brasswork used in the the Smith Tower's…
ID Number:SHS15303
Date:Circa 1912
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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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