HomeEducationTeen ProgramsRainy Day HistorySeason 1: True Northwest

Season 1: True Northwest

Each episode of season one highlights one object on display in MOHAI at a time, to explore what stories it has to tell about what it means to be a Seattleite.

Discover the history of objects that are personal and political – childhood treasures abandoned in times of war, a memorable discotheque marquee, protest art, and more – and examine the legacies that the events surrounding them have left for this city.

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Episode List

Trailer

Episode date: September 25, 2019

Length: 2:49

Welcome to Rainy Day History, a podcast by the MOHAI Youth Advisors.
Seattle is famous for its coffee beans and digital machines, but it hasn’t always been that way. We’re diving into history to uncover what it means to be a Seattleite both in the past and the present. This isn’t your everyday museum podcast—it’s completely teen-researched, written, and produced!

Episode 1: Kikisoblu/Princess Angeline

Episode date: October 4, 2019

Length: 12:37

The city of Seattle, as it is now known, has been the home of the Duwamish people since time immemorial. The relationship between the city and the Duwamish is long and complicated—too long for a single episode.

In this episode we explore a single artifact: the cane of Kikisoblu, the daughter of Chief Si’ahl, who refused to leave when the Duwamish were expelled from the city. It is a story of survival and competing legacies.

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Episode Sources

We relied heavily on the following sources to build our narrative:

The quote from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz came from Native American Women Are More than Princesses and Squaws – Bitch Media. September 19, 2017.
Additional sources include:

Episode Credits

  • This episode was hosted by TK and Atul, researched by Leela, written by Emily C. and recorded by Ziah and Julia.
  • Our logo was designed by Grace. Our music was written by Finch and performed by Finch, Tyler, and friend of the pod Sylvie Wang. Our editors are Finch and Grace.
  • Rain sound effects came from https://freesound.org/people/barkenov/sounds/255900/

Resources for Further Exploration

Episode 2: Life's Weary Way

Episode date: October 18, 2019

Length: 15:27

Seattle the pioneer town was home to logging, coal, fishing…and lots of men. In 1864 Asa Mercer had a plan to “civilize” this rough and tumble Seattle—bring over boatloads of women!

In this episode we learn about one of these women, Lizzie Ordway, her journey, and her influence on the city. We also explore Seattle’s complicated image as a pioneer town and rapidly shifting definitions of what it means to be an early settler.

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Episode Sources

We relied heavily on the following sources to build our narrative:

The statistics about early Seattle demographics came from Quintard Taylor’s The Forging of a Black Community: Seattle’s Central District, from 1870 Through the Civil Rights Era (University of Washington Press, 1994).

The quote from historian Lorraine McCounaghy came from Sherry Stripling’s article “Genealogist tracks the Mercer Girls” in the Chicago Tribune, 7 April 2004.

The quote about the Mercer Girls being thanked for their self-sacrificing spirit that gave us our episode title came from an article in the May 28, 1864 edition of the Seattle Weekly Gazette. While it appeared in a number of our research sources, it was properly cited in Paul B. Hagen’s Harvard University 2017 graduate thesis paper “How the Civil War Civilized Seattle”.

Additional sources include:

Episode Credits

  • This episode was hosted by TK and Atul, researched by Julia, written by Andrea and Leela, and recorded by Emily T.
  • Our logo was designed by Grace. Our music was written by Finch and performed by Finch, Tyler, and friend of the pod Sylvie Wang. Our editors are Finch and Grace.
  • Rain sound effects came from https://freesound.org/people/barkenov/sounds/255900/

Resources for Further Exploration

Subscribe to the Rainy Day History Podcast through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Episode 3: Heirs of the American Experiment

Episode date: November 1, 2019

Length: 16:28

Jumping forward a little bit in history (there’s only so much time!), this episode explores the local impacts of Japanese incarceration during World War.

Some objects, like a set of Hinamatsuri dolls, were left behind. Others, like the wooden chest belonging to Kino Iwasaki, were used to re-build life post-incarceration. This is a story of struggle, resistance, and what is often left out of the Seattle narrative.

Related MOHAI Content

Episode Sources

We relied heavily on the following sources to build our narrative:

The quote from the Japanese American National Museum came from “What is Hinamatsuri?” on the Discover Nikkei website.

The quote from Justice Frank Murphy that gave us our episode title came from his written dissent for Korematsu v. U.S. You can read this quote and two other dissenting quotes on the US Courts website.

Episode Credits

  • This episode was hosted by TK and Atul, researched by Tyler, written by Leela, and recorded by Ziah and Andrea.
  • Our logo was designed by Grace. Our music was written by Finch and performed by Finch, Tyler, and friend of the pod Sylvie Wang. Our editors are Finch and Grace.

Resources for Further Exploration

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Episode 4: A Voice Like Honey at Dusk

Episode date: November 15, 2019

Length: 11:51

Gentrification is a hot topic in Seattle right now, as areas like the Central District are rapidly changing. Since this is a history podcast, let’s take a look at what stories are at risk of being pushed out as well, and examine what and who has historically called this neighborhood home.

Through the story of jazz icon and Seattle legend Ernestine Anderson, we dive into the fight for equality, space, and African-American art in Seattle’s history.

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Episode Sources

We relied heavily on the following sources to build our narrative:

  • Seattle on the Spot interpretive materials, to which Al Smith Jr., Paul de Barros, Quin’Nita Cobbins, and Howard Giske contributed their expertise.
  • History Link entry 8520
  • Anna Callahan, “Remembering Jazz Legend Ernestine Anderson” from 4Culture (2016)
  • Jamala Henderson, “Why is Seattle so racially segregated?” KUOW, 20 Sep 2016
  • Quintard Taylor, The Forging of a Black Community: Seattle’s Central District, from 1870 Through the Civil Rights Era (University of Washington Press, 1994)
  • Peter Vacher, “Ernestine Anderson obituary” The Guardian, 20 Mar 2016

Episode Credits

  • This episode was hosted by TK and Atul, researched by Julia, written by Emily C., and recorded by Emily T.
  • Our logo was designed by Grace. Our music was written by Finch and performed by Finch, Tyler, and friend of the pod Sylvie Wang. Our editors are Finch and Grace.

Resources for Further Exploration

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Episode 5: Dancing Out of the Shadows

Episode date: November 29, 2019

Length: 14:44

For some, Seattle has long been considered a haven for the LGBTQ community. This episode examines the complexities of making space for marginalized communities in Seattle through the lens of the LGBTQ community’s shared gathering spaces and their movement throughout Seattle’s history.

We discuss Shelly’s Leg, a gay bar in Seattle, how it was a trailblazer in the fight to create accepting and inclusive spaces, and why in the world it’s called “Shelly’s Leg” (hint: there’s an actual leg involved).

Related MOHAI Content

Episode Sources

We relied heavily on the following sources to build our narrative:

Additional sources include:

Special thanks to MOHAI staff member Rachel for her contribution

Episode Credits

Resources for Further Exploration

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Episode 6: Teamsters and Turtles

Episode date: December 13, 2019

Length: 15:42

Trade, turtles, and giant protests, oh my!

In this final episode of season one, host Atul and guest-host Leela take you on a wild ride throughout Seattle’s history of labor movements, culminating in the tensions and tribulations of the 1999 World Trade Organization Protests. The episode features fabulous protest art in the form of cardboard turtle costumes.

Related MOHAI Content

Episode Sources

We relied heavily on the following sources to build our narrative:

Additional research came from:

The quote from Tico Almeda came from an interview with the WTO History Project

The quote from John F. Goodman came from “Voices From the WTO,” produced by Evergreen State college, accessed through the UW WTO History project

Special thanks to MOHAI staff Clara, Lynne, and Rachel for their contributions

Episode Credits

  • This episode was hosted by Atul and Leela, researched by Julia and Leela, written by Leela, and recorded by Leela, Atul, and Emily T.
  • Our logo was designed by Grace. Our music was written by Finch and performed by Finch, Tyler, and friend of the pod Sylvie Wang. Our editors are Finch and Grace.
  • Rain sound effects came from https://freesound.org/people/barkenov/sounds/255900/

Resources for Further Exploration

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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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