In the early 20th century, the campaign for women’s suffrage and activism around prohibition brought women into the public sphere. With the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 giving women the right to vote, the idea of women in the political arena was no longer unthinkable. In 1926, Seattle… [ Keep reading ]
Prohibition in Washington State went into effect 110 years ago this year, outlawing the manufacture and sale of liquor across the state. The business of regulating alcohol had been a concern of Seattle city government since the city’s incorporation in 1869, when the very first ordinance passed was to establish… [ Keep reading ]
In 1962, Wing Luke became the first person of color elected to Seattle City Council and the first Asian American elected to public office in King County. Born in China, Luke moved to Seattle as a young child and attended Roosevelt High School where he was student body president. After… [ Keep reading ]
A council-vs-mayor kerfuffle broke out in 1973 over “promotional hosting” – that is, City lobbyists wining and dining state legislators as they argued for the City’s interests. Hal Meyer, supervisor of legislative research for the City Council, ran up over $6000 in credit card charges, mainly at Seattle (not Olympia)… [ Keep reading ]
Happy National Poetry Month! Not so very long ago, poetry readings were a regular event at some City Council committee meetings. Soon after he took office in 1998, Councilmember Nick Licata began holding a series of poetry readings at his committee meetings related to the arts, establishing the nation’s only… [ Keep reading ]
In the late 1940s, the city of Seattle established daylight savings time. Citizen letters to the city council indicate this was not necessarily a popular move. For example: Mrs. C.E. Davis: “Why do you and all those who want DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, go to the Artic [sic] Circle where they… [ Keep reading ]
Are you curious about the history of your Seattle neighborhood? Our series of online guides featuring resources in the archives by City Council district is a great place to start! Structured around the themes of Early Records, Parks and Recreation, Infrastructure and Public Works, Neighborhood Development and Community Services, and… [ Keep reading ]
The Fremont Arts Council applied for a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant in 1989 for a project they called “Hall of Giants” to create a sculptural environment in the view corridor underneath the north end of the Aurora Bridge, an area full of garbage and old mattresses. Their goal was to… [ Keep reading ]
See update below! Sometimes photographs come to us with no or limited description, leading to a need for some detective work to discover where and when it might have been taken. One example is this recently scanned slide from the Historic Building Survey Photograph Collection (Record Series 1629-01). To view… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day traces back to December 28, 1970, when Seattle City Council passed Resolution 22872 declaring January 15 as a city holiday to “express our gratitude for his services to mankind.” A copy of the resolution was sent to Dr. King’s widow Coretta Scott… [ Keep reading ]
