The Ballard Neighborhood District Coordinator Records (Record Series 5752-16) are now available for use in our research room. The records date from 1974 to 2016 and include meeting minutes, reports, correspondence, and notes relating to the activities of Ballard District Coordinator Rob Mattson. Each of Seattle’s 13 neighborhood districts had… [ Keep reading ]
Happy Native American Heritage Month! Today we’re remembering the Takeover of Fort Lawton, which began on March 8, 1970 when Native activists and their allies scaled fences surrounding what was then the recently decommissioned Fort Lawton military base in Magnolia, launching a coordinated effort to occupy and reclaim the land… [ Keep reading ]
Happy World Digital Preservation Day, everybody! Whether it be all those pictures and videos on your phone, important tax documents, papers you’ve written for school, or for us at the archives, alllllll of those many thousands of digital objects in our holdings – today is a great day to think… [ Keep reading ]
Wildlife managers at the Ballard Locks have long been vexed by sea lions hanging around the fish ladder and eating migrating salmon. A file in Department of Neighborhoods records reveals one unique approach to the problem in the 1990s – Fake Willy. KISW radio personality Bob Rivers promoted the idea… [ Keep reading ]
Our latest Views from the Vault video dives into swimwear regulations from the 1930s. In a letter to the Seattle Park Board president, the sporting goods manager for the University Bookstore complained that men were required to wear full bathing suits on public beaches rather than the swimming trunks that… [ Keep reading ]
Sometimes we come across materials in the archives that maybe weren’t originally intended to be creepy, but we still think they kind of are! One of our favorites is a postcard showing the La Sousa Clown Band, a regular attraction at West Seattle’s Luna Park during the summer of 1909…. [ Keep reading ]
October is Archives Month! This year’s theme for Washington State is “Express Yourself,” highlighting the diverse ways people have documented their lives, creative outlets, and personal perspectives. Archival repositories throughout the state hold materials of self-expression such as handwritten letters revealing thoughts and relationships; photographs of music and dance performances;… [ Keep reading ]
The archives has a collection of 29 photos highlighting the activities of the Parks Department’s Sails and Trails Club in the early 1930s, and we could use your help identifying the people and places depicted! The club was founded in 1929 by Parks employee Pearl Powell, who was hired during… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Parks Department’s Meadowbrook Pool officially opened to the public on October 14, 1975 – 50 years ago today! SMA holds materials documenting the planning, construction, opening, and use of this important community resource since it first began serving the public and nearby Nathan Hale High School students a… [ Keep reading ]
Welcome to Primary Sources, the new blog from the Seattle Municipal Archives (SMA)! We look forward to giving you a peek behind the scenes and sharing news, finds, and resources from the archives. What you can expect in this space: To kick things off, check out our Views from the… [ Keep reading ]
