Click here for a map of King County, WA The modern history of Seattle and King County began with the landing of the Denny Party in present-day West Seattle in November 1851. King County was formally created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature in December 1852, and Seattle was named the county seat. While the history of the native population goes back thousands of years, most of the data found here traces the past 150 years as the county has evolved from a pioneer outpost to a modern urban center. HistoryLink's database is currently divided into two primary libraries, Metropedia and Timelines. Metropedia includes longer historical essays, searchable by keyword, topic, and date, and delivered in alphabetical order.
Timelines are shorter, date-specific essays delivered in chronological order.
Searching either or both libraries will yield a preliminary summary of abstracts corresponding to your parameters. All database essays include their sources and the name of their author. This section offers search tips for both new and experienced users. While these essays have been edited by HistoryLink staff, their factual accuracy has not been verified. This tool is a link to the City of Seattle's Public Access Network, with which HistoryLink is affiliated.