Throwback City
Stories from Seattle and Puget Sound's past that resonate today.
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Stories
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What was Washington state like during the last ice age?
Seattle was carved by ice.
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How Seattle’s big ditch got built 100 years ago
This story originally aired in 2005. We loved it so much that we dug it out again in honor of the Ballard Locks' 100 year anniversary on July 4, 2017.
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Why itty bitty houses line Bremerton alleys
Tiny, affordable houses line some of Bremerton’s alleys. They’re called “war boxes,” remnants of the massive building boom that transformed Bremerton...
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Who were Burke and Gilman, and how’d they get their names on our trail?
If you live in Seattle and own a bike, you’re probably acquainted with the Burke-Gilman trail. But are you acquainted with Burke and Gilman?
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The dark history behind this old Chinatown building
People may know about the immigration detention center in Tacoma. But one of the earlier detention centers was in Seattle’s Chinatown-International...
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This ghost town used to be home to 1,000. Now it's just ruins
If this ghost town had a mayor, it would be Don Mason. Back in the 1970s, Mason was hiking when he stumbled on evidence of a town called Franklin. He’d...
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Why do some locals say ‘Wershington’ instead of ‘Washington?’
We’re a quirky bunch out here in Washington state. We eat cream cheese on our hotdogs. The western part of the state freaks out when it snows. We don’t...
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Racism is baked into the history of this small Seattle suburb
Our region was built with immigrant labor. It’s part of the story of growth and development here. There are many ways to tell that history. How we tell...
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Cape Disappointment to Deception Pass: What’s up with the depressing names?
Anyone who has road-tripped around Washington state might have noticed a depressing trend: Cape Disappointment. Point No Point. Deception Pass....
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Meet the artist who captured these timeless portraits of 1980s Seattle
In the 1980s Marsha Burns prowled Seattle's streets, looking for people to photograph. “I was doing pictures of edgy people, people who didn’t fit into...
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Has Seattle always been so progressive?
The results of the recent presidential election have revealed stark divisions in this country. This is especially clear in Seattle.
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Our first female governor was a lot like Donald Trump
Dixy Lee Ray wore white knee-high socks and men's shirts. And when she ran for governor of Washington state, her motto was "Little lady takes on big...