Seattle’s iconic Freeway Park opened to the public 50 years ago this month on July 4, 1976. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve created a new online exhibit tracing the history of the park from conception to opening. The exhibit was researched using records in the archives and is illustrated with… [ Keep reading ]
We’re excited to present Lunchtime Rewind—a Lunch & Learn Archival Screening! Take a break and travel back in time with us on Thursday, July 16, from 12:00–12:45 PM for a special screening of archival footage from City Light and the Seattle Channel, featuring: The screening will take place in the… [ Keep reading ]
In June 1980, Seattle Center held its first annual Juneteenth Celebration, a free public event spanning four days which featured exhibits, dances, dramatic performances, concerts, and films. The event was intended to celebrate Juneteenth through visual and performing arts, using the theme of “The Young Black Artist.” National and local… [ Keep reading ]
The first Gay Pride Week in Seattle took place in June 1974 with celebrations including a picnic, street dance, performances, and roller skating at the top of the Volunteer Park Water Tower. The week also saw the official opening of the Gay Community Center on Capitol Hill, which offered a… [ Keep reading ]
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 ]
