Cover of the book, Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal, with ocean water in the background.
HomeEventsMOHAI Mercantile Literary Series – Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal

MOHAI Mercantile Literary Series – Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal

Tuesday March 24, 2026 @ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
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MOHAI Mercantile is proud to host the official book launch event for Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal with local historians David B. Williams and Jennifer Ott!

This portable guide from UW Press and HistoryLink is an introduction to the engineering marvel of the Ballard locks, and a primer on the history of the ship canal. Hear from the authors about the tumultuous history of one of Seattle’s defining projects, and the dramatic changes it brought to the city’s economy, neighborhoods, and natural environment.

Doors open at 6pm for music and mingling. Food and drink available for purchase.

Conversation and Q&A begin at 7pm, followed by a book signing with the authors.

Preorder your copy through the MOHAI Mercantile beginning in January 2026!

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Details

Venue

Other

Cost:
Free with Registration
Audiences:
Adults, Educators

Speaker Bio

Jennifer Ott

Jennifer Ott

Jennifer Ott is the executive director at HistoryLink and an environmental historian. with a particular interest in Seattle’s history of moving dirt, rerouting waterways, and leveling hills. She is the author of Olmsted in Seattle: Creating A Park System for a Modern City, general editor and contributor to Seattle at 150: Stories of the City Through 150 Objects from the Seattle Municipal Archives, and co-author of Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal. She has also written for HistoryLink.org, Seattle magazine, and the Oregon Historical Quarterly. Her newest book, Where the City Meets the Sound: The Story of Seattle’s Waterfront, will be published this summer.

Speaker Bio

David B. Williams

David B. Williams

David B. Williams is an author, naturalist, tour guide, and Curatorial Associate at the Burke Museum. He is the author of Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound; Too High and Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle’s Topography; and Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City. He also writes a free weekly newsletter, “the Street Smart Naturalist”.