Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. See maps and atlases depicting the changing landscape of Seattle and other areas in the Pacific Northwest. Take a look at our historic map resources page to browse maps by location.
Municipal Plans Commission of the City of Seattle map showing Lake Washington-Juanita-Bellevue Waterfront District, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2465533_16
Date: 1911
View this itemSecond Supplemental Maps, Lake Union [Portage Bay] Shore Lands, circa 1960
Map depicting land parcels near Portage Bay and Montlake.
Identifier: spl_maps_2479642
Date: 1960
View this itemThe City of Seattle Harbor Department, Map of Central Waterfront District, 1916
Map depicting businesses along the waterfront and water depths along piers and in Elliott Bay.
Identifier: spl_maps_2361529
Date: 1916
View this itemEulalie Merrill Wagner Interview, July 14, 1986
Eulalie Merrill Wagner (1904-1991) was a philanthropist well known for the gardens of her 10 acre Tacoma estate, Lakewold. She was born in Seattle and attended St. Nicholas School and the Masters School, a preparatory school in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She married George Corydon Wagner (1895-1979) in the 1920s. They moved to Lakewold in 1938. Both Wagner and her husband had family ties to the local lumber industries; through her husband’s side with the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company and through her side with the Merrill & Ring Lumber Company. She was an avid golfer and served as president of many organizations such as the Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Garden Club and Tacoma Junior League. She also supported the University of Washington Arboretum, helped to develop the native plant garden at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma and created the Wagner Endowment for Nursing Education at Tacoma General Hospital.
Identifier: spl_ds_ewagner_01
Date: 1986-07-14
View this itemMount Baker Park Addition, 1929
Map showing land parcels in Mount Baker.
Identifier: spl_maps_2365459
Date: 1929
View this itemMunicipal Plans Commission of the City of Seattle map showing Lake Washington-Union Bay Waterfront District, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2465533_13
Date: 1911
View this itemSam Smith Interview, April 28, 1988
Sam Smith (1922-1995) Smith was born in Gibsland, Louisiana. He was stationed in Seattle during World War II while serving in the Army. Following the war’s conclusion, he decided to stay in Seattle and attended Seattle University where he earned a degree in social science in 1951 and the University of Washington where he earned a degree in economics in 1952. After graduating, he began a career at Boeing. In 1958, Smith was elected to the Washington House of Representatives, becoming the third African-American to earn a seat in the State House. During his time there, he championed a bill banning discrimination in home sales and rentals based on race or religion. In 1967, Smith left the legislature to pursue a seat on the Seattle City Council. He became the first African-American to serve on the council and remained there until 1991. During this time on the city council he promoted an open housing initiative and ran for mayor four times.
Identifier: spl_ds_ssmith_01_01
Date: 1988-04-28
View this itemMunicipal Plans Commission of the City of Seattle map showing Smith's Cove-West Point District and Railroad Avenue, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2465533_10
Date: 1911
View this itemMunicipal Plans Commission of the City of Seattle map illustrating Separation of Grades on the Seattle Tide Lands, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2465533_19
Date: 1911
View this itemRichard Gilkey Interview, June 14, 1986
Richard Gilkey (1925-1997) was a painter and sculptor who was part of the Northwest School of Artists. Gilkey was born in Bellingham, Washington. His family moved to Seattle when he was 12 and he attended Ballard High School. During World War II, Gilkey served with the Marine Corps and was discharged because of injuries in August 1944. Following the war, he began to develop an interest in artwork and was particularly inspired by the work of fellow Pacific Northwest artists Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson. His work was featured in the 1948 Northwest Annual Exhibition and in 1958 Gilkey was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to travel through Europe and further develop his skills. In 1975, he purchased a Skagit Valley home and developed an art studio where his work was increasingly inspired by the surrounding environment. His painting came to a sudden halt when he was in a car accident in 1984, which left him unable to paint for three years due to crushed vertebrae. He slowly made his way back into the art world and was awarded the Washington State Governor’s Art Award in 1990. The same year he was awarded the grand prize in the Osaka Triennale 1990 exhibit. Notice of the award came on the same day that a Skagit River levee broke and flooded his home and studio. Following a severe lung cancer diagnosis in 1997, Gilkey drove from Seattle to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his revolver and committed suicide near Togwatee Pass. Gilkey’s works have been featured internationally and included in collections of institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum.
Identifier: spl_ds_rgilkey_01
Date: 1986-06-14
View this item