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.

How Alaska Treasures Made Their Way to Seattle Museums

Destiny and timing brought two highly developed peoples together -- Imperial Russia and the Alaska Natives -- so we can gaze at rare and delicate objects in virtually mint condition.

The Mountain Men of the West

The travels and explorations by these weathered men helped mark trails, later to become wagon roads, and eventually the famous Oregon Trail.

Chief Sealth and The Speech

Who was Chief Sealth, whose name was pronounced See-alth or sometimes See-attle?

The Northwest’s Long History of Fishing

With the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the 1890s, refrigerated fresh fish was shipped to eastern markets.  This activity made the Pacific Northwest fishing industry famous throughout the world.

The King of King County

In 1893 a regional historian with a penchant for hyperbole described King County as "emphatically one of the great, if not the greatest, counties of the Northwest . . ."

Seattle’s Historic Orthodox Churches

Local Orthodox churches became embroiled in Russian politics, and an ecumenical orthodoxy emerged.

Seattle’s Italian Heritage: Angelo Pellegrini

"The Unprejudiced Palate," published in 1948 and re-issued several times, places the reader at a simple kitchen table.

Coyote Stars in Origin Myths of the Northwest

Native origin myths tell of the epic battle between Coyote or the Changer and his nemesis, Wishpoosh.

Home, Home on the Grange

As the Grange grew, it pushed successfully for political reform, such as doubling legal immigration for undocumented immigrants currently in the United States, providing labor for rural areas.

Adding Some History to Seattle’s Black History Month

Black pioneers moved to Seattle – like many other groups – to work in shipping, railroading, and for those seeking gold in Alaska and Canada. 

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