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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

10/3/2024

Desimone Brothers vegetable truck

News Then, History Now

Native Altercation

On October 5, 1855, Yakama warriors and U.S. troops clashed at Toppenish Creek. Chief Kamiakin's forces outnumbered those of General Granville O. Haller, who retreated after four of his men were killed and 17 wounded. Hostilities continued until September 1858, when tribal resistance collapsed amid harsh and unjust retribution.

Moran's Recuperation

Buoyed by $100,000 in community aid, Seattle's Moran Shipyard completed and launched the battleship Nebraska on October 7, 1904. After the launch, shipbuilder Robert Moran -- a self-described "nervous wreck" -- sold the company and moved to Orcas Island, expecting to die soon. He ended up living there, relatively stress-free, until his death in 1943.

Events in Aviation

On October 8, 1921, the first military plane landed at Sand Point in Seattle. On October 5, 1931, Clyde Pangborn belly-landed his plane in Wenatchee after completing the first nonstop airplane flight between Japan and the United States. And on October 8, 1966, the Grant County Airport opened in Moses Lake at what used to be Larson Air Force Base.

Sporting Competition

On October 8, 1995, the Seattle Mariners won their first playoff series in a dramatic comeback against the New York Yankees. And on October 6, 2020, the Seattle Storm won their fourth WNBA championship, following wins in 2004, 2010, and 2018.

Tribal Recognition

Twenty-five years ago this week, on October 6, 1999, the federal government formally recognized the Snoqualmie Tribe. This victory allowed the tribe to proceed with the Snoqualmie Casino, which opened in 2008 and provides income to support tribal services.

Quite an Expedition

On October 3, 2017, nonagenarian Günter Gräwe, a prisoner of war during World War II, returned to visit his former Fort Lewis prison camp, now part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), in Pierce County. Months earlier, Grawe contacted HistoryLink after finding our Fort Lewis essays online, and we were quite surprised when he later showed up in Seattle on a bike wondering if we could facilitate his visit to the base. As Marie McCaffrey explains in this delightful People's History, we were more than happy to help.

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Image of the Week

Suzzallo Library

On October 4, 1926, the University of Washington board of regents dismissed President Henry J. Suzzallo. In 1933 the university’s cathedral-like library was named after him.

Quote of the Week

“If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant?”

--Martin Scorsese

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