NCW Libraries

Prohibition consumed Seattle, igniting a war that lasted nearly twenty years and played out in the streets, waterways, and even town hall. Roy Olmstead, formerly a Seattle police officer, became the King of the Seattle Bootleggers, and Johnny Schnarr, running liquor down from Canada, revolutionized the speedboat industry. Frank Gatt, a south Seattle restaurateur, started the state's biggest moonshining operation. Skirting around the law, the Coast...

McChord Field, tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, maintains an understated presence. Yet this subdued outpost plays a vital role in major conflicts around the world. On July 3, 1940, McChord officially opened as a training base, developing bomber crews for aircraft such as B-17s, B-18s, B-25s, B26s, and even some of the Doolittle Raiders. Strategically located, McChord functioned as an aircraft modification center, producing P-39s, the Soviet Union's...

The breathtaking scenery of the Pacific Northwest hides a myriad of dark secrets. From sightings of the Columbia River Sea Serpent, nicknamed "Colossal Claude," to tales of Bigfoot encounters dating back to 1865, strange creatures lurk both on land and at sea. Shipwrecks, drownings, shanghaiing, and nautical superstitions abound. The restless settler spirits of those who lived and died on the Oregon Trail are said to linger alongside apparitions...

"Madeline Pruett has made up for a lonely childhood and being raised by an irresponsible single mom by creating a solitary world where timetables and highlighters are essential for the predictability she craves. But Madeline is shocked out of her carefully constructed life by word that a father she never knew has died and left her an inheritance and, surprisingly, two unknown sisters. Madeline hopes that she can fly to Colorado, meet her sisters,...

As Elissa Washuta makes the transition from college kid to independent adult, she finds herself overwhelmed by the calamities piling up in her brain. When her mood-stabilizing medications aren't threatening her life, they're shoving her from depression to mania and back in the space of an hour. Her crisis of American Indian identity bleeds into other areas of self-doubt; mental illness, sexual trauma, ethnic identity, and independence become intertwined....

Learn the basics of foraging, why it is beneficial, and how to identify plants and mushrooms. Includes recipes.

Descriptions of more than 80 scenic hikes to or starting at more than 140 hot springs in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia.

Mount Rainier rises 14,410 feet above sea level and can be seen on any given day by over three million people and from over 100 miles away. It is America's fifth national park, established in 1899. The mountain is an active but currently dormant volcano. With 25 named glaciers, 50 smaller unnamed glaciers, and numerous perennial snowfields, Mount Rainier boasts the largest glacier system in the continental United States. In addition to the glacier...

Grays Harbor reigned supreme as the "Logging Capital of the World" for 150 years. Homesteaders became loggers and hired local Indians, who had logged the area's massive trees since ancient times. Sailors, too, were hired to rig spar trees. They fearlessly plied lumber schooners across destructive waters and carried timber products to the East Coast, South America, and other foreign ports. Over time, power saws replaced crosscut saws, and logging methods...

“Die Standing: From Black Panther Party Leader to Global Diversity Advisor” is Elmer Dixon's life story that can help instruct today's social justice activists on how to organize the community based on the successful strategies of the Black Panther Party to achieve change in a continued climate of police brutality, institutional racism, and vast socioeconomic discrepancies for Black and Brown people. Dixon showcases the Panther's 10-Point Platform...