McMenamins and Bothell Historical Society present
History Pub
The Evolution of Seattle’s Waterfront
Presented by Jennifer Ott
McMenamins Anderson School
Haynes’ Hall
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
7pm/doors 6pm
$5
All ages
Seattle’s new Waterfront Park is only the latest of many iterations of the shoreline at the foot of downtown. People, animals, economics, technology, and transportation systems have shaped and reshaped it, creating a place where the past mingles with the present. Join author and historian Jennifer Ott in an exploration of the waterfront's history, from its deep past to its complex present.
Jennifer Ott is the executive director of HistoryLink and an environmental historian with a particular interest in Seattle's history of moving dirt, rerouting waterways, and leveling hills. She has written for 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 magazine and the 𝑂𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑦. She contributed to 𝐴 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒: 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝐴𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑦, Jim Ellis’ memoir, and wrote 𝑂𝑙𝑚𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒: 𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦. She was the general editor and a contributor to 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 150: 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 150 𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑀𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠, and co-author of 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑦: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒’𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙. Her new book, 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑀𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒’𝑠 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 was published in 2025.
You may also like the following events from McMenamins History:
- Happening on, 12th January, 07:00 pm, History Pub - Oregon Moonshine: Bootleggers, Busts, and Brawls in Troutdale
- Happening on, 14th January, 07:00 pm, History Pub - Andrew Carnegie Libraries of Oregon in Forest Grove
- Happening on, 20th January, 07:00 pm, History Pub - Son of Bigfoot in Centralia
Also check out other
Arts events in Bothell,
Literary Art events in Bothell.
