Seattle Neighborhood History
In this Exploration Guide for students in high school, learn more about the history of Seattle’s many unique neighborhoods.
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How to Discover the History of Your Neighborhood, Without Leaving Home | CityLab
See what one woman staying close to home during the Covid-19 pandemic learned about the history of her home and neighborhood--and how she made a creative record of her online sources and findings. You too can learn a lot about your neighborhood without leaving home! Feel free to create a record in whatever way makes sense to you, whether simple or artistic.
View How to Discover the History of Your Neighborhood, Without Leaving Home | CityLab -
Chief Si’ahl | Duwamish Tribe
Watch the video and explore this site to find out how the city of Seattle got its name, and who was living here before the first white explorers and settlers arrived. How did the indigenous and white people relate to and treat each other? Why is a land acknowledgment used at the start of many local events, and why do some people and organizations pay rent to Seattle’s host tribe, the Duwamish?
View Chief Si’ahl | Duwamish Tribe -
Seattle Neighborhoods — Past, Present, Future | HistoryLink
Seattle’s neighborhoods have surprisingly interesting and diverse histories. What is the history of your neighborhood? Check out this article on HistoryLink to get the big picture, then see if your neighborhood has a “thumbnail history” as well. (Try searching the site for ‘Seattle neighborhoods.’)
View Seattle Neighborhoods — Past, Present, Future | HistoryLink -
Seattle Neighborhood History Project | Special Collections, The Seattle Public Library
Looking for cool old photos, articles, and maps related to the history of your neighborhood? This resource is searchable by neighborhood and draws on some of the best collections around: the Seattle and University of Washington Libraries, the Seattle Municipal Archives, and HistoryLink.
View Seattle Neighborhood History Project | Special Collections, The Seattle Public Library -
Don Sherwood Park History Sheets | Seattle Municipal Archives
Like parks? You may learn some surprising facts about parks in your neighborhood--or your favorites across the city--by looking at these “history sheets.” Some are simple one-page park plans with almost no notes, while others are multiple pages long with amazingly detailed histories (such as the one for Alki Beach).
View Don Sherwood Park History Sheets | Seattle Municipal Archives -
Rainy Day History Podcast | MOHAI Youth Advisors
Listen to these engaging podcasts written and created by MOHAI’s Youth Advisors. Each podcast uses a particular artifact in the MOHAI collection as a launchpad for exploring some aspect of Seattle’s history. Also explore the MOHAI website for other resources such as History Cafe’ podcasts and a list of movies featuring Seattle.
View Rainy Day History Podcast | MOHAI Youth Advisors -
Seattle’s Ramps to Nowhere | KCTS 9 Mossback’s Northwest with Knute Berger
Watch this short video to learn how Seattle neighborhoods were affected by Seattle freeways in the 1940s to 1970s, and how protests made a difference in the plans for one freeway. Don’t miss the Mossback’s other episodes for additional nuggets of Seattle and Washington history.
View Seattle’s Ramps to Nowhere | KCTS 9 Mossback’s Northwest with Knute Berger -
The 1920s and the 2020s, Interview with Ron Judd of The Seattle Times | Washington State Historical Society
Check out this podcast interview with Seattle Times reporter Ron Judd to find out some of the similarities between the 2020s and the 1920s. Given that this podcast was recorded shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic and #BlackLivesMatter protests, do you think the comparison is just as valid now?
View The 1920s and the 2020s, Interview with Ron Judd of The Seattle Times | Washington State Historical Society -
Segregated Seattle | UW Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project
Did your neighborhood ever exclude certain groups of people? How might that have affected who lives in your neighborhood now?
View Segregated Seattle | UW Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project -
Seattle’s First Civic Poet Isn’t Done Mapping the Emotions of Our Changing City | Seattle Times
First watch the video of Seattle’s first civic poet, Claudia Castro Luna, reading her poem about Seattle. Then visit the Seattle Poetic Grid she started (linked in the article), an interactive online map with poetry from Seattle residents who share their feelings about the city’s past and present.
View Seattle’s First Civic Poet Isn’t Done Mapping the Emotions of Our Changing City | Seattle Times