SMA’s holdings include a set of issues of Seattle Municipal News, the newsletter of the Municipal League. The News covered local government at the city, county, and state levels, including observations of activity and policies in all departments on topics ranging from traffic to elections. SMA’s collection is not complete,… [ 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 ]
Two Clerk Files from 1956 contain letters from teenagers (all girls) protesting the city’s refusal to allow Elvis Presley the use of the Civic Auditorium, apparently over concern about potential unruly behavior by youth attending the concert. (In a separate Clerk File, a parent applauded the decision, saying kids’ “craze… [ Keep reading ]
“Goats to Munch on Invasive Plants at York Park!” was the headline of a 2005 media advisory from the Department of Parks and Recreation. The text went on to explain that the goats’ lunch would help clear ground for a new park on the site of a former City Light… [ 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 ]
