Archives West Finding Aid

William O. McKay (1887-1956) was born in California and arrived in Seattle with his family in 1898. McKay attended the University of Washington, but left before graduating to begin a career in the automobile business. During World War I he fought in France as a Marine Corps infantry officer. After the war, McKay worked as a sales representative for Ford Motor Company.

In 1922, he formed the William O. McKay Company. His quick success enabled him to move from a leased lot on Capitol Hill to his own building located at Westlake Avenue and Mercer Streets. Built in 1922, the South Lake Union Ford Showroom was adjacent to the Ford Assembly Plant, where cars were assembled for local sale. Three years later, he built an ornate, one-story terra cotta showroom to display the line of luxury Lincolns he added to his inventory. Created by architects Harlan Thomas and Clyde Grainger, designers of Seattle’s Sorrento Hotel, the showroom entrance had an elaborate carved wooden archway and featured a large chandelier and Ionic columns. In 2006, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated the South Lake Union showroom as a city landmark.

McKay was a life-long civic leader, active in the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Community Fund drives and various automotive organizations. He was a visionary for the Seattle Seafair celebration, and in 1951 was crowned Neptune Rex II, the second Seafair king. An avid Seattle booster, he predicted the rapid expansion of the automobile industry. He died in 1956, while cruising with his wife in the Fiji Islands.

Ralph Grossman (1913-1996) was born in Chicago. He went to work at age 9 to support his family, and by age 22 he was the youngest district manager in the Walgreens Drug store chain. He moved to Seattle in 1939, where he first operated a theater. He began selling cars for William O. McKay in 1949, and the dealership often loaned Lincolns to visiting politicians and celebrities. At the time of his death at age 83, he was the vice president at the 58-year old Pacific Lincoln-Mercury-Nissan dealership, formerly William O. McKay Ford. He was active in civic affairs, helping to launch the Seattle Civic Christmas Ship and the Variety Club Telethon, which raised money for Children’s Hospital. After World War II, he and William O. McKay organized a victory parade featuring community leaders called the “Seattle Salts.” In 1956, the group evolved into the first Seafair festival. Grossman was later referred to as the “Father of Seafair.” Grossman ran for Congress in 1948 and Seattle City Council in 1956.