A folder in the Water Department Central Files documents incidents of trespassing in the Cedar River Watershed between 1955 and 1964. The watershed supplies drinking water to the greater Seattle area and also is a major source for downstream rivers, supporting salmon and other species. To protect the water and… [ Keep reading ]
As the holiday season lights up Seattle once again, we’re turning the spotlight back to Seattle City Light’s holiday lighting recommendations from the early 1960s. In our Digital Collections, you’ll find both a short promotional video and a brochure that showcases how SCL encouraged customers to brighten their homes for… [ Keep reading ]
Did you know that before it was Seattle’s first city park, Denny Park was Seattle’s first municipal cemetery? Created on land donated by David and Louisa Denny, burials started in the 1860s and continued until 1884 when Mayor Henry G. Struve signed Ordinance 571 to convert Seattle Cemetery into a… [ Keep reading ]
Along with correspondence about Fire Department business, Fire Chief Frank Stetson’s files also include copies of letters to his son Horatio, who was serving in World War I. The younger Stetson had previously been posted in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and at the Mexican border with the Washington… [ Keep reading ]
Did you know that Seattle City Light (SCL) used to employ a team of home economists? Led by chief home economist Mary Norris during the 1950s into the 1970s, they presented at regional home shows and to city employees, schools, and community groups on topics like canning, freezing, and holiday… [ Keep reading ]
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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
