Jane Addams

One of my heroes is Jane Addams, a community worker in Chicago in the early 20th century. Jane grew up in a wealthy family. She saw many problems in her community--poverty, poor working conditions, and few services for new immigrants. She decided to open up her home to use as a community center to address some of these problems. Jane Addams started providing all kinds of assistance to poor people in her neighborhood. She provided free English classes and job training. She also helped people with all kinds of problems that came up. Her home was called Hull House, and its reputation grew and grew. She was eventually awarded the Nobel Price in 1931. She was the first American woman to win that award.

I admire Jane Addams for a lot of reasons. She obviously did a lot of good for her community. She also worked hard to change the world at a time when women had very little power. Jane Addams was not even allowed to vote during most of her life, but she was able to influence her community for good. I admire her single-minded dedication. Jane Addams devoted her entire life to the Hull House and its mission. She could have stopped and lived a comfortable life, but she chose to remain dedicated to her community.

My Touristy Seattle Activity

When I first moved to Seattle in 2008, I decided to read a book about the city's history. It was very interesting! Seattle started out as a wild, lawless community of frontiersmen & women. When a lumber mill opened in 1853, the city started to grow very quickly. According to this report, Seattle was gaining 1,000 new residents per month until there was a devastating fire in 1889. Much of the Pioneer Square area was destroyed. The city residents decided to take the opportunity to build the city up higher to avoid flooding.

Tourists to Seattle often take Bill Spiedel's Underground Tour. On this tour, you can go underneath the sidewalks and streets in Pioneer Square to see the original city. You also learn a lot about the early residents of Seattle. I really want to take this tour because I'm interested in history, and it sounds like fun to explore underneath the city!