• Hotel Seattle at James St. and Yesler Way, 1903

    Hotel Seattle at James St. and Yesler Way, 1903

    Located in Pioneer Square at the intersection of Yesler Way, James Street and First Avenue, Hotel Seattle was constructed in 1890. It replaced the Occidental Hotel which burned down in the fire of 1889. In 1891, the building served as home to the Seattle Public Library. Around the time of the construction of the nearby Smith Tower in 1914, Hotel Seattle was converted from hotel use to an office building. By 1961, the building was abandoned and later torn down and replaced with a parking garage. This instigated a historic preservation movement in the Pioneer Square area to preserve other historic buildings before they could be demolished.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00821

    Date: 1903

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  • Young Women's Christian Association at 5th Ave. and Seneca St.

    Young Women's Christian Association at 5th Ave. and Seneca St.

    Nowell, Frank H., 1864-1950

    Opened in 1914 and led by Mrs. Rees Daniels, the YWCA headquarters was a support center for young working women. The eight-story brick building still serves as the YWCA headquarters today.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00500

    Date: 1915?

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  • Welsh Presbyterian Church, July 19, 1907

    Welsh Presbyterian Church, July 19, 1907

    Transcribed from postcard: "Welsh Presbyterian Church-10th Ave. N. and John St., Seattle, Wash., J. Michael Hughes, Pastor." The first Seattle Welsh Presbyterian Church was originally built in 1893 on Olive Way. As the congregation expanded, they needed a larger space and soon built a new structure in 1907 at 10th Ave. N. and E. John Street. The postcard includes a photograph of J. Michael Hughes who served as the church's pastor between 1891-1894 and 1905-1912.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00324

    Date: 1907-07-19

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  • King Street Station, ca. 1906

    King Street Station, ca. 1906

    During the early 1900s, there was increasing interest in connecting railroads with Seattle. The high demand and competition between railways resulted in two railway stations being built directly next to each other at 4th Avenue and Jackson Street. King Street Station (which is depicted in this postcard) was constructed in 1906 and can be distinguished by its tower. Union Station, originally known as the Oregon and Washington Station, was constructed in 1911. Alternative names for Union Station include the Union Depot and the Northern Pacific Great Northern Depot. The postcard captioning can be confusing because both stations were sometimes referred to as "union stations" due to the fact that multiple railroad lines were shared within the same terminal. For a good example of the differences between Union Station and King Street Station see spl_pc_01011 where Union Station appears in the foreground and King Street Station appears in the background.

    Identifier: spl_pc_01017

    Date: 1906?

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  • Smith Tower, Court House and City Hall, ca. 1950

    Smith Tower, Court House and City Hall, ca. 1950

    Transcribed from postcard: "Smith Tower, Court House and City Hall, Seattle, Washington, in down-town Seattle. From the observation platform in Smith Tower, a 42-story building, one may enjoy an excellent view of the city and surrounding country."

    Identifier: spl_pc_00210

    Date: 1950?

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  • Frederick & Nelson

    Frederick & Nelson

    In Seattle, Christmas isn't Christmas without a Day at Frederick & Nelson. Seattle's most beautiful department store had rolled out the red carpet for its friends and neighbors this Christmas. The scene shows one of the First floor aisles.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00224

    Date: 1955

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  • Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1910

    Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1910

    Street view of the Federal building in downtown Seattle (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office). Construction on the Federal Building began in 1903 and ended in 1908. The building was located at the intersection of Union Street and Third Avenue, which was being regraded at the time. The Third Avenue regrade left a gap of four feet down to the new sidewalk which resulted in a new set of stairs being added to the building's exterior. The building was demolished in 1958.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00406

    Date: 1910?

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  • Medical Dental Building, ca. 1925

    Medical Dental Building, ca. 1925

    The Medical Dental Building was constructed in 1925 and expanded in 1950. Initial plans for expansion during the 1930s were put on hold due to the Great Depression. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00900

    Date: 1925?

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  • 14th Ave. homes on Capitol Hill, ca. 1910

    14th Ave. homes on Capitol Hill, ca. 1910

    The Moore Mansion, located at 811 14th Ave E, appears at the far left of the postcard. The 1903 home was built and owned by James A. Moore who developed much of the Capitol Hill neighborhood with through his business, Moore Investment Company.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00604

    Date: 1910?

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  • Frye Hotel, December 5, 1917

    Frye Hotel, December 5, 1917

    Transcribed from postcard: "When in Seattle, Try the Frye, Hotel Frye, Opposite 42 story L.C. Smith Bldg." The Frye Hotel (also known as Hotel Frye) was constructed in 1911 and designed by the architects Charles H. Bebb and Louis L. Mendel. The project was funded by Seattle pioneer George F. Frye and his wife Louisa Frye (originally of the Denny family). The hotel was converted to low income housing in the 1970s.

    Identifier: spl_pc_00812

    Date: 1917-12-05

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