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Archives Find of the Month: Beer and Baseball in 1934

Comptroller File 145668 contains the following letter from the Seattle Baseball Club: December 22, 1934 To the Honorable City Council Seattle, Washington Gentlemen: The Board of Trustees of the Seattle Baseball Club Inc. has instructed the undersigned to respectfully call to the attention of your honorable body that at no time during the 1934 playing […]

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Archives Find of the Month: WAAC, WAVE and SPAR

In the midst of World War II, Seattle’s Civil Service Commission struggled with how to classify women who were serving in the WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps), WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, otherwise known as the Navy Women’s Reserve), and SPAR (Coast Guard Women’s Reserve). All three reserve units were meant to free [...]

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Bernie Whitebear, Native American Leader

For most of his life, activist and community leader Bernie Whitebear (1937-2000) of the Lakes Tribe (one of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation) worked for social change and justice for the native people of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Whitebear made many contributions to improving rights for Native Americans in Seattle and, in these [...]

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Bernie Whitebear, Native American Leader

For most of his life, activist and community leader Bernie Whitebear (1937-2000) of the Lakes Tribe (one of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation) worked for social change and justice for the native people of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.  Whitebear made many contributions to improving rights for Native Americans in Seattle and, in [...]

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Archives Find of the Month: McMahon’s New York Circus, 1892

In preparation for what would be his third summer setting up shop in Seattle, John McMahon purchased a circus license from the city for $50. The license gave him permission for two performances of his McMahon’s New York Circus, on May 14 and 15, 1892. From what we can tell, the May 14 performance went [...]

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National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Jeanette Williams championed rights for women, people of color and the disabled.  Although the Washington State Legislature passed laws in 1967 and in 1971 (RCW 70.92 and RCW 7092A) requiring public buildings and public accommodations be built with barrier-free design to accommodate the disabled, the regulations were rarely enforced. Stating that the disabled are “the [...]

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Archives Find of the Month: A Request from the Anti-Japanese League, 1919

In a letter to City Councildated October 24, 1919, the Anti-Japanese League called for “radical steps” to curb the increase of the local Japanese population. They feared that “people now living will see the day when the Pacific Coast will be a Mongolian instead of a White Man’s Country.” The letter expresses concern about a [...]

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Hispanic Heritage Month

Social justice activist Roberto Maestas (1938-2010) testified at many public hearings and Seattle City Council meetings.  He lent his voice to the fight for the establishment of El Centro in 1972 and in support of many other organizations in the struggle for civil rights in Seattle. In 1973, Maestas spoke at a public hearing advocating [...]

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Archives Find of the Month: 1902 Elks Carnival

In August 1902, the Seattle Elks Lodge hosted a carnival and street fair in downtown Seattle. This was quite a big affair, extending over almost two weeks and a good portion of downtown. Ordinance 8369 granted the Elks permission to build temporary wooden structures “between Second Avenue and Fifth Avenue, Pike Street and University Street, [...]