Students in the Archives
It’s back-to-school time! Included in the archives are many examples of students writing to city officials on topics important to them. Here’s just a few of our favorites.
In June 1952, Girl Scout Troop 413 sent a petition to the city asking for the improvement of Lucile Street between 18th Ave S. and 20th Ave S. on Beacon Hill. Also signed by nearby residents, the petition protests the poor condition of the road as little more than a steep, dirt trail. Heavily used by students walking to and from Maple School and Cleveland School, the petitioners also claimed that the street was unsafe and extremely muddy during most of the school year.
To illustrate their case, photos were included with the petition (above), showing “knee-deep” mud, muddy boots, and views of the very muddy road. Letters from the Engineering Department filed with the petition note that the conditions described were “largely true,” and agree that a paved path was “badly needed.” A resolution for the improvement of this stretch of Lucile St. was introduced the following month and eventually passed in March 1954.
A couple of decades later, elementary school students wrote to then-Mayor Wes Uhlman in recognition of the first Earth Day in April 1970. One of the letters (right) is from an opinionated 3rd grader – and budding environmentalist? – accusing the mayor of “just drinking cocktails and eating” while ignoring litter and pollution. Despite the student’s evident frustration, the letter is signed “Your Friend, Jay Nordgaard.” Another one of the letters is written on classic 1970s clown and balloon stationary and complains of “smelly” bus exhaust. These and other student letters written for the first Earth Day are filed with Mayor Uhlman’s archived records.
For students of today, our website has lots of great resources for learning about Seattle city history! Check out our Digital Document Libraries, full of scanned primary source materials and created specifically with students and teachers in mind, as well as our many and varied online exhibits, research tips and tools, quick Seattle facts, and History Day and classroom project ideas.
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