Urban History
3/18/15 – Favorite Reading Rooms: Seattle Municipal Archives
Editor’s Note: This week’s blog is part of our ongoing series on our favorite reading rooms. See previous installments here and here. Growing up a ferry ride away from Seattle, I can attest to the accuracy of the city’s reputation of gray skies, constant drizzle, and excellent coffee. What’s funny is that it took moving away… Read the Rest »
2/18/15 – YMCA Seattle
When SHRA researchers travel, we don’t limit ourselves to finding history just in the archives. The interdisciplinary nature of history allows historians to cast our net wide and glean historical understanding and appreciation from everything around us. While on a recent trip to Seattle, we found a plethora of valuable sources in the archive, but… Read the Rest »
12/15/14 – Then & Now Fairview Avenue
Because most of our projects focus on the built and natural environments, SHRA researchers often find themselves researching at the unique intersection between environmental and urban history. In early 2014, our research led to 1950s photographs of Fairview Avenue in Boise, Idaho, a road that is now a major thoroughfare in the Treasure Valley. One… Read the Rest »
12/8/14 – A Bird’s Eye View
Some of our favorite sources here at SHRA are maps. While our researchers take great joy in analyzing the intricacies of all maps, bird’s eye view or panoramic maps are some of our absolute favorites. Created in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century by cartographers, these images depicted cities from above at a… Read the Rest »
10/13/14 – Greenbelt and Bike Path History
This October, Boise, Idaho celebrates the 45th anniversary of the creation of the Greenbelt, the 25 miles of biking and walking trails that line both sides of the Boise River. The history of the Greenbelt (see SHRA blog from the summer of 2012) is interesting on its own merit, for it is the story of… Read the Rest »
7/23/14 – World Cup Reflections
In the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup, headlines abounded with speculation on Brazil’s readiness. As thousands of tourists descended upon the various host cities, it was clear that Brazil’s infrastructure was not up to snuff. Barely finished stadiums, hastily constructed airport terminals (one of which was under a tent) and numerous uncompleted… Read the Rest »
6/15/12 – The Boise Greenbelt
The end of World War II signaled the beginning of America’s great modern suburbanization. As Americans flocked to places like Levittown and similar bedroom communities, they demanded not only modern technology such as washing machines, but also clean and open green spaces to enjoy increasing leisure time. They wanted to recreate, and began to insist… Read the Rest »
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