Help me find resources to learn about my new home in Washington state.
September 20, 2015 1:35 PM Subscribe
Two years ago, we moved from Maryland to Seattle, WA, but I still feel like I don't know very much about my new home. Ideally, I'm looking for the "here's what you should have learned in 6th grade" level overview of local history and common knowledge. (I might get into deeper history later, but right now I just want to not feel like such a tourist)
Sons of the Profits and the Seattle Underground Tour may be of interest.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 1:41 PM on September 20, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by a lungful of dragon at 1:41 PM on September 20, 2015 [5 favorites]
I like to post these for new Seattleites whenever possible. It's comedy, but...mostly accurate too, speaking as a native.
posted by azuresunday at 2:31 PM on September 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by azuresunday at 2:31 PM on September 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
Sarah Canary by Karen Jay Fowler should be required reading.
posted by Nevin at 2:49 PM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Nevin at 2:49 PM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
MOHAI in South Lake Union is a great place to spend an afternoon, and although I didn't grow up here, feels totally like the type of place you go for elementary school field trips. (Plenty of adult programming too - eg Speakeasy Saturdays last June/July.)
Online, I've always been impressed by how much stuff is available at HistoryLink. Washington State FAQ!
posted by cdefgfeadgagfe at 5:13 PM on September 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Online, I've always been impressed by how much stuff is available at HistoryLink. Washington State FAQ!
posted by cdefgfeadgagfe at 5:13 PM on September 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh, I miss Almost Live! Thanks for the memories! (And still pretty damn accurate.)
MOHAI used to be located on the shores of Lake Washington; haven't been there since it moved, glad to hear it's still a treat.
If you don't actually want to start reading about local history in general, you might pick one subject, get books from the library (ask a librarian!), google and follow rabbit holes. Some suggestions:
Seattle as a Boom and Bust Town. Huge influx during the Alaska Gold Rush, then back to quiet little town. Huge influx during the war, building planes for Boeing, then quiet. Very quiet. A billboard that said "Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights." Then this guy started his tech business in a little country town outside Seattle called Redmond; followed by Amazon and Starbucks and some of us despair of ever seeing a bust again.
The Mercer Maids: 1860, too many men, so one guy went back East and brought some prospective brides with him. Lots and lots of books, stories, songs, etc. resulted. Also some marriages.
The custom of potlatch among the Northwest Native American tribes. A ceremony where the more goods you gave away, the more status you got. Reading about how it worked, and how strongly it disturbed the whites, is fascinating; for awhile it was illegal to conduct a potlatch.
One dissenting word: my book club unanimously disliked "Sarah Canary." Certainly read it as a fable rather than something based on any historical truth.
posted by kestralwing at 12:26 AM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
MOHAI used to be located on the shores of Lake Washington; haven't been there since it moved, glad to hear it's still a treat.
If you don't actually want to start reading about local history in general, you might pick one subject, get books from the library (ask a librarian!), google and follow rabbit holes. Some suggestions:
Seattle as a Boom and Bust Town. Huge influx during the Alaska Gold Rush, then back to quiet little town. Huge influx during the war, building planes for Boeing, then quiet. Very quiet. A billboard that said "Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights." Then this guy started his tech business in a little country town outside Seattle called Redmond; followed by Amazon and Starbucks and some of us despair of ever seeing a bust again.
The Mercer Maids: 1860, too many men, so one guy went back East and brought some prospective brides with him. Lots and lots of books, stories, songs, etc. resulted. Also some marriages.
The custom of potlatch among the Northwest Native American tribes. A ceremony where the more goods you gave away, the more status you got. Reading about how it worked, and how strongly it disturbed the whites, is fascinating; for awhile it was illegal to conduct a potlatch.
One dissenting word: my book club unanimously disliked "Sarah Canary." Certainly read it as a fable rather than something based on any historical truth.
posted by kestralwing at 12:26 AM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
The book Washington's History: The People, Land, and Events of the Far Northwest is a good, concise introduction to the history of Washington state.
posted by tecg at 9:42 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tecg at 9:42 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all so much! Lots of great suggestions.
posted by mboszko at 2:37 PM on September 21, 2015
posted by mboszko at 2:37 PM on September 21, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 1:40 PM on September 20, 2015 [6 favorites]