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Seattle Freeway Revolt Activists collection, 1950-2019

Overview of the Collection

Compiler
Seattle ARCH (Organization)
Title
Seattle Freeway Revolt Activists collection
Dates
1950-2019 (inclusive)
Quantity
6.87 cubic feet, (6.87 cubic feet ; 166.42 gb (59 files); 7 boxes)
Collection Number
6285
Summary
Materials from and related to individuals and organizations involved in Seattle's Freeway Revolt of the late 1960s and 1970s
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access to paper-based materials. Films are open for previewing onsite in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Request at UW

Languages
Collection materials are in English.
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Historical Note

The years 1968 to 1980 marked a period of organized opposition to three major Seattle freeway plans: the R.H. Thomson Expressway, the Bay Freeway, and a massive new I-90 Mercer Island bridge. Citizen opposition, most intense from 1968 to1972, led to the defeat of the R.H. Thomson and Bay Freeway in citywide referenda in February 1972. Opposition to the freeways then focused on I-90 plans and included protracted legal challenges, interaction with regulatory agencies, and initiatives to reduce the project impact and scope.

From the early years of the freeway revolt until plans for the I-90 Mercer Island Bridge were finally resolved more than a decade later, activists were engaged in a variety of related issues. A wide range of organizations also became involved, from community associations to civic groups, environmental organizations, and more. This collection incorporates these diverse efforts.

The origins of this collection date to 2013, when a small group in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood convened to discuss ways to preserve the history of the freeway revolt. Those present agreed that this far-reaching citizen movement had largely faded from public awareness over the four-plus decades since it began. The "Ramps to Nowhere" in the Washington Park Arboretum--ramps that literally stopped in mid-air at the edge of the park--were familiar to many Seattle residents. But very few people seemed to know much, if anything, about how those old freeway ramps came to be there, or about the citizen revolt they symbolized. An important civic heritage was on the verge of being lost.

A group called Seattle ARCH (Activists Remembered, Celebrated and Honored) was formed and set out to unearth as much information as possible about the freeway revolt. Through tracking down any and all living activists and others involved in the movement they were able to secure many files and artifacts. Seattle ARCH also reached out to local historians and information professionals, who enthusiastically embraced their efforts and provided valuable information, expertise and assistance.

Information provided by Anna Rudd and Priscilla Arsove.

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Content Description

The collection contains documents and ephemera collected from individuals and organizations involved in Seattle's Freeway Revolt of the late 1960s and 1970s, including letters, meeting minutes, flyers, newsletters, press releases relating to citizen efforts to defeat Seattle freeway plans. To name a few: Citizens Against the RH Thomson Expressway (CARHT); University of Washington mathematics professor Maynard Arsove; Citizens Against Freeways (CAF); Margaret Tunks; Citizens for Sensible Transit; and Forward Thrust.

The collection focuses on the years 1968 to 1980 and documents organized opposition to three major freeways planned for Seattle: the R.H. Thomson Expressway; the Bay Freeway; and a new I-90 Mercer Island bridge. The R.H. Thomson and Bay Freeway in citywide referenda were defeated in February 1972. The collection documents efforts including legal challenges, interaction with regulatory agencies, and initiatives to reduce the impact and scope of the I-90 Mercer Island bridge.

The collection includes a print copy of the "Seattle's Freeway Revolt: A Directory of Historical Resources." See the administrative note field for series arrangement. See the related materials note field for link to online copy held by the Seattle Public Library.

Accession 6285-002 contains interviews conducted by Minda Martin for the Seattle Freeway Revolt film. Collection includes other associated items including the film Ramps to Nowhere.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 6285-001, Seattle Freeway Revolt Activists collection, 1950-2019
  • Accession No. 6285-002, Seattle Freeway Revolt film and interviews, 2014-2017

Acquisition Information

Donated by Seattle ARCH (Activists Remembered, Celebrated, and Honored), 2017-2019; Priscilla Arsove, John F. Barber, Ruth A. Brandwein, Emory Bundy, Donald A. Gibbs, Jean Godden, George Gunby, William L. McCord, Anna D. Rudd, Eugene H. Smith, Tim Tunks, Preston Schiller, Brock Evans, Roger Leed, and Margaret Tunks

Related Materials

Related material can be found in the following collection: Virginia K. Gunby papers

A physical copy of Seattle's Freeway Revolt: A Directory of Historical Resources can be found in UW Libraries Special Collections . A digital copy can be found at the Seattle Public Library .

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

  • Community activists--Washington (State)--History--Sources
  • Express highways--Washington (State)--History--Sources
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Business correspondence
  • Ephemera
  • Newpaper clippings
  • Technical reports

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • CARHT (Organization : Seattle, Wash


2019 (Last modified: 10/18/2024)

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