Gray Matters

9 Seattleites You Should Know

Knute Berger weighs in on Seattle’s most iconic personalities, past and present, from popular musicians to historical figures

FATHER FIGURE: This bronze statue of Chief Seattle was created by artist James Wehn and unveiled in 1912

Knute Berger

How Has Seattle Changed Since the 1999 World Trade Organization Protests

Twenty years after the WTO demonstrations, Knute Berger looks at how the far right came out ahead

Activists, union members and more participated in the WTO protest in 1999

Knute Berger

Local Billionaires’ Impact Is Seen in Seattle and Beyond

Seattle’s wealthy once liked to hide, but today’s billionaires, says Knute Berger, are openly impacting the city and beyond

EYE SPY: Seattle’s billionaires are throwing around more than a few Benjamins these days, changing the shape of the city

Knute Berger

What’s Next for Our Car-Clogged Seattle?

Cars shaped our city, but with clogged streets, we're looking for different options, says Knute Berger. What's next?

NEWSWORTHY: The automobile, first seen in Seattle around 120 years ago, was still a novelty in 1912 when E.J. Davis and E. Edward Reed completed their Chicago to Seattle drive, captured in this photo taken in front of the Daily Times offices

Knute Berger

45 Years Later, What Does Ted Bundy Tell Us About Seattle?

Almost a half century after Ted Bundy focused the nation on our region, Knute Berger wonders what this serial killer says about us today

MISSING PERSONS: The July 11, 1974 front page of Evergreen State College’s Cooper Point Journal highlights a story that riveted the region and country

Knute Berger

Washington’s Urban and Rural Communities Should Bridge the Partisan Divide

The state’s east-west political divide is changing, says Knute Berger, and there are many issues on which the two parties could find common ground

COMMON GROUND: Urban and rural areas aren’t voting as they used to; isn’t it time the two political parties work on issues that benefit both regions?

Knute Berger

Looking Back on Seattle’s General Strike and Spanish Flu

Knute Berger reflects on two cataclysmic events that brought Seattle to its knees a century ago

WALK OUT: Some 65,000 workers walked off the job during Seattle’s general strike in 1919

Knute Berger

What Do Citizen Activists and Rainier Club Members Have in Common?

Rainier Club members have long played a central role in shaping our city, Knute Berger recognizes, but so have citizen activists

This article appears in print in the November 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe. I am writing this from the quiet confines of…

Knute Berger

With Mount Baker’s New Historic Status, What Lessons Can This Neighborhood Teach Us?

Knute Berger remembers his family’s Mount Baker neighborhood from long before it was designated a historic place

The Mount Baker Community Club, ca. 1914, became open to all in 1968, changing with its now-diverse neighborhood

Knute Berger

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