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Diablo Dam incline railway climbing Sourdough Mountain, 1930. Courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 2306.
Children waving to ferry, 1950. Courtesy Museum of History and Industry.
Loggers in the Northwest woods. Courtesy Washington State Digital Archives.
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7/23/2026
Bold as Love
On July 26, 1970, Jimi Hendrix headlined a concert at Seattle's Sicks' Stadium. In 1968 and 1969, the rock star had performed at the Seattle Center Coliseum, but this time he played outdoors, a business decision by Seattle-based promoter Concerts West. Unfortunately, rain turned the stadium's field into mud and fans were wet before the show even began. It was the last time Hendrix would perform in Seattle. Less than two months later he was dead, in London, at the age of 27.
Born and raised in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix taught himself to play guitar when he was around 15 and he soon began performing with teenage dance combos in local venues. After a brief stint in the army, he toured the southern states with various R&B combos and eventually made his way to New York in 1964, where his reputation began to grow. After being discovered by members of the British rock scene, Hendrix flew to London, became an overnight sensation, and sky-rocketed to worldwide fame following his psychedelic performance at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.
In 1968 Hendrix returned to Seattle as a superstar. The next two years were spent recording albums in London and New York and performing at concerts, including a legendary headlining gig at Woodstock. He didn't take the stage until 9 a.m. in the morning of the last day and captivated the crowd with his iconic take on "The Star Spangled Banner." But his busy schedule, often fueled by liquor and barbiturates, took its toll, and on September 18, 1970, he died in London. Two weeks later he was buried in Renton.
Since his death, his gravesite has become a mecca for rock and roll fans the world around, and what was once a small marker has been replaced with an ornate monument. In 2000, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's admiration for Hendrix led to the creation of the Experience Music Project (now the Museum of Pop Culture) at Seattle Center.
Crosstown Traffic
On July 23, 1900, Ralph Hopkins arrived in Seattle after driving his Woods Electric west from Chicago to San Francisco and then north (with lifts from trains helping out here and there). His car was the first to travel Seattle's streets and was most likely the first one ever seen in Washington.
By 1904 there were enough cars in Washington to warrant creation of the state's first Auto Club, the predecessor of AAA Washington. This group collaborated with Sam Hill's Good Roads Association to improve and promote the construction of public highways. The Good Roads Association also pushed for the creation of a State Highway Board, which was established in 1905.
The need for speed increased once Henry Ford's Model T was introduced, and cars became affordable to middle-class Americans. In 1911, Governor Marion Hay signed the Permanent Highway Act, which created a fund for construction of hard-surfaced roads between trade centers. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 assisted in these efforts. Over time, the State Highway Board evolved into the Washington State Transportation Commission, which now oversees the Washington State Department of Transportation.
On July 26, 1879, Seattle's first major fire destroyed Henry Yesler's sawmill, a significant portion of Yesler's Wharf, and a number of factories, warehouses, hotels, and homes. A massive fire devastated Twisp on July 24, 1924, and on July 24, 1994, the Tyee Creek Fire began north of Wenatchee and burned 135,000 acres in 33 days.
On July 28, 1896, Olof Bull carried his violin to the summit of Mount Rainier and played several solo songs – including "Nearer, My God, To Thee." And on July 25, 1920, Seattle aviator Herbert Munter became the first person to overfly the peak when he soared above the summit in his Boeing Model 8 biplane. Ever the showman, Munter circled the peak three times before crossing over it.
President Warren G. Harding received a warm Seattle sendoff after giving what turned out to be his final public speech on July 27, 1923. He fell ill en route to San Francisco and died six days later. In 1925, a memorial created by Alice Robertson Carr was erected in Woodland Park Zoo where the president had spoken at a Boy Scout jamboree, but it was demolished in the late 1970s and is now buried under the central knoll in the zoo's African Savanna exhibit.
On July 26, 1928, Boeing Field opened in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood, on a day that William Boeing called, "… just about the happiest one of my life." Many Boeing aircraft took their maiden flights from the field, including the B-17 Flying Fortress, which first rose skyward on July 28, 1935.
In 1965, Ted Griffin opened the Seattle Marine Aquarium on Pier 56, where on July 27 he brought Namu, the world's first captive killer whale. A year later, the movie Namu the Killer Whale, filmed in the San Juan Islands, had its premiere in Seattle. Namu's story generated great concern over the use and exploitation of orcas, and a shift in public opinion led to the creation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972.
On July 24, 1966, the first unlimited hydroplane race on the Columbia River was held at Tri-Cities. Thirty years later, on July 28, 1996, two racing fans were wading in the water when one of them stepped on what seemed to be a round rock. It turned out to be a 9,200-year-old human skull – the remains of an individual who came to be known as The Ancient One, and Kennewick Man.
On July 25, 1969, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Santana, Tina Turner, and more performed in Woodinville at the Seattle Pop Festival.
"I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to."
– Jimi Hendrix
