May 17, 2012 - May 23, 2012

They Came to Hear

Sixty years ago this week, on May 18, 1952, Paul Robeson sang to as many as 45,000 Canadians and Americans gathered at the International Peace Arch in Blaine. The concert was sponsored by the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers, which had wanted Robeson to address its meeting four months earlier in Vancouver, British Columbia. The singer was prevented from crossing the border by the U.S. State Department -- which had confiscated his passport -- so the audience came to him instead.

Robeson's political activism caused heated debate given the climate of the Cold War. He was a tireless supporter of civil rights and, although not a communist, was very outspoken about the favorable treatment he'd received as a black man visiting the Soviet Union. Committed to peace and anti-fascism, Robeson was unapologetic about his views and found himself increasingly persecuted for his beliefs.

Two days after his Peace Arch concert, Robeson spoke in Seattle after overcoming a City Council ban against his appearance at the Civic Auditorium. But because the ban had been lifted so recently -- due to the efforts of Terry Pettus and other supporters -- there was little time for promotion. The event was sparsely attended and barely broke even. Robeson never visited the city again.

A Pier without Peer

Thirty-five years ago this week, on May 20, 1977, crowds bubbled with excitement over the opening of the Seattle Aquarium. Funded by Forward Thrust bonds, the aquarium was an immediate success. Since its opening, visitors to the award-winning aquarium have seen additions, expansions, and an array of ground-breaking (surf-breaking?) exhibits and other explorations into the life aquatic.

The Seattle Aquarium was not King County's first. That honor (not counting Vashon Island's Aquarium Post Office launched by postmaster Henry P. Fish in 1892, we kid you not) goes to local legend Ivar Haglund, who opened his aquarium next to Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in 1938. Nearly 30 years later, Ted Griffin operated the Seattle Marine Aquarium, which featured performances by the world's first captive killer whale, Namu. Concern over the use and exploitation of orcas and other marine mammals led to the creation of a true public aquarium that provides information about the Puget Sound region's rich aquatic environment.

News Then, History Now

Tried in Court: On May 21, 1850, five Cayuse men were put on trial for the murder of Marcus Whitman, two and a half years after the Protestant missionary, his wife Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, and 11 others were killed in what became known as the Whitman Massacre. After questionable evidence was presented, all five were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. On May 2, 1953, a bronze statue of Whitman was unveiled in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

From Stump to Fort: This week in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt made a whirlwind trip through Washington, beginning with a speech in Chehalis on May 22, from atop the McKinley Stump. The next day in Seattle, he signed in as the inaugural guest at the Washington Hotel atop Denny Hill and visited Fort Lawton. Two days later he briefly visited North Yakima before heading off to Walla Walla, where he spoke at Whitman College.

Naval Pride: On May 23, 1908, the U.S. Navy's Great White Fleet arrived in Elliott Bay and many Seattleites beamed with pride upon seeing the USS Nebraska, which had been launched from the Moran Brothers shipyard four years earlier. The Nebraska was the only battleship ever built in Washington state, and its construction was buoyed by $100,000 in community aid.

Red Tide: One hundred years ago this week, a deadly tragedy occurred at Seattle's Colman Dock. Less than a month earlier, the ferry terminal suffered severe damage after being struck by the steamship Alameda. While the structure was being repaired, ferry passengers had to board vessels via a freight gangplank. This unusual docking situation led to a collapse that injured 58 and killed two on May 19, 1912.

Fires Past: On May 23, 1944, fire destroyed part of the Issaquah Lumber Company mill in Monohon. And on May 20, 1958, the largest conflagration to hit Seattle since the Great Fire of 1889 destroyed the Seattle Cedar Manufacturing plant in Ballard.

Mountain Blast: On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens popped its lid, belching out rivers of mud and a plume of boiling gas. Ash dumped all over Eastern Washington, forcing travelers off the highways. This caused tremendous problems in Ritzville, some 200 miles away from the volcano.

Cities at Last: A handful of Washington cities celebrate birthdays this week. In 1890, Shelton, Blaine, and Hoquiam incorporated days apart from each other, on May 17, May 20, and May 21, respectively. One year later, Anacortes incorporated on May 19, 1891. And Arlington became a city on May 20, 1903.

Quote of the Week

I stand here today under great stress, because I dare, as do you, all of you, to fight for peace and a decent life for all men, women, and children wherever they may be. And especially today, I stand fighting for the rights of my people in this America, in which I was born.

--Paul Robeson,
   remarks at the Peace Arch concert, May 18, 1952

Image of the Week

On May 18, 1926, Kirkland chose "The Gateway to Seattle" as its slogan.