An establishment called the Madison Square Beer Garden opened at 15th and Madison in 1933, and it didn’t take long for complaints to follow. A widow who owned a residential building next door sent a complaint to City Council: My apartment house has always had a very splendid reputation and… [ Keep reading ]
An exchange of letters saved in the Fire Chief’s General Correspondence series highlights some early trash talk between the chiefs in Tacoma and Seattle. A letter dated July 28, 1933, from Tacoma’s Chief Whitaker to Seattle’s Chief Corning referenced an upcoming baseball game between department staff from the two cities,… [ 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 ]
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 ]
