Junius Rochester

Junius Rochester, whose family has shaped the city for many generations, is an award-winning Northwest historian and author of numerous books about Seattle and other places.

Why Did Catholic Missionaries Succeed in the Northwest?

Arriving as early as 1838, these tolerant, hardy "Blackrobes" had an important visual aid.

Tales of Reuse: Steeples and Skyscrapers

Big cities need the contrast and diversity of buildings with varying scale and design.  Religious temples can offer such diversity and architectural appeal.

Ritual Rides and Transformative Philanthropy: Agnes and Alfred Anderson

With an estate of more than $12 million after her husband’s death, Agnes Healy Anderson was a focal point of philanthropy, both traditional and off-beat. 

How Icelanders Ended up in Point Roberts

Salmon canneries opened at Point Roberts in 1890s, and a paddlewheel steamer from Seattle made regular stops. The tiny area also became the end of the trail for Icelandic immigrants.

Port Angeles, City of Dreams

The dream of establishing a second National City (after D.C.) vanished along with a purloined custom house.

Gold Rush Seattle’s Grand Shows

Alexander Pantages, an uneducated Greek-born impresario, who exhibited streaks of crudeness alongside his brilliance, gave audiences what they wanted – anything they wanted.

How British Columbia Came to Be

The rich lands of B.C. drew the interest of Russia, Spain, America, and Britain.

The Backbone of American Western Literature: Owen Wister

In October of 1892, Wister visited Harvard classmate George Waring, who kept a small general store on the Methow River.  He stopped in Walla Walla, then Washington Territory’s largest city, which he described as “a town of dust and poplars.” 

Ivar Haglund, Falstaffian Figure of Fun (and Clams)

He was a West Seattle native born in 1905.  He came from a family (Swedish father, Norwegian mother) steeped in music, Swedish traditions, and sea-faring lore.  The Alki and Seattle waterfronts were Ivar Haglund’s playgrounds.

The Day a Plane Landed on the Roof of the Bon Marche

It was 1929. Seeing that it was impossible to return to Boeing Field, Robert Wark scanned the territory below.  The smoothest, nearest flat area was the roof the Bon Marche, Seattle’s premier downtown department store (later Macy’s).

Latest