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Diablo Dam incline railway climbing Sourdough Mountain, 1930. Courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 2306.
Children waving to ferry, 1950. Courtesy Museum of History and Industry.
Loggers in the Northwest woods. Courtesy Washington State Digital Archives.

This Week Then

7/17/2025

Outfitting stores in downtown Seattle for Klondike Gold Rush

News Then, History Now

Named by Her Beau

One hundred and fifty years ago this week, on July 20, 1875, John Shoudy filed an 80-acre plat in the Kittitas Valley for the town of Ellensburgh (later Ellensburg), which was named for his wife, Mary Ellen. The city's downtown was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Fiery Glow

On July 18, 1900, a fire destroyed half of the business district of downtown Pomeroy; on July 17, 1929, Seattle 's Union Pacific Dock went up in flames; and on July 18, 1959, the abandoned Wheeler-Osgood Company mill in Tacoma burned to the ground. But the biggest Washington fire in history this week was the Carlton Complex wildfire, which spread out over 18,000 acres and by July 17, 2014, had destroyed 111 homes in and around the town of Pateros.

Neighbors Say No

On July 21, 1911, members of the Fern Bluff Grange in Sultan approved a resolution opposing development of a proposed Western Tuskegee community for Black settlers. Supporters of the plan envisioned an 800-acre settlement north of town where Black agriculturalists and entrepreneurs could create a self-supporting community, but opponents claimed that locating a Black community next to a white community would lead to strife. 

On With the Show

On July 18, 1930, Howard Hughes's Hell's Angels had its first premiere outside of Hollywood at the Fox Theatre in Seattle, with star Jean Harlow in attendance. Although the theater was only a year old, Hughes paid the owners to upgrade the venue, and he sent an advance team of expert technicians, along with a boxcar of special equipment that included an larger screen, new projectors, and an improved sound system.

Clean Waters Flow

This week marks three anniversaries in water-quality history, beginning with the groundbreaking for the Renton Treatment Plant on July 20, 1961, which included a parade through the "Metro Subway." Four years later, the plant was dedicated on July 22, 1965. And on July 20, 1966, the West Point wastewater treatment plant was dedicated on the shores of Magnolia and helped fulfill Metro's 1958 promise to clean up Lake Washington.

Trains on the Go

On July 18, 2009, Seattle's light-rail era began as Sound Transit's Link light-rail trains carried their first passengers between downtown Seattle and Tukwila. By the end of the year, the service reached Sea-Tac airport, and in 2016, the line was extended northward to Capitol Hill and UW. In 2024, the trains reached Lynnwood to the north and work continues to extend the service to the Eastside.

Today in
Washington History

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Image of the Week

The home of philanthropist and activist Kay Bullitt

The home of philanthropist and activist Kay Bullitt became a Seattle landmark on July 19, 2023.

Quote of the Week

"During the gold rush it's a good time to be in the pick and shovel business"

--Mark Twain

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