McGilvra Boulevard was named for J.J. McGilvra, the pioneer federal judge who, in order to settle there, first blazed a wagon road to Lake Washington at the site of the future Madison Park.

Motorcycle historian and collector Thomas Samuelsen, who leads the pack in the "now" scene, has identified the racer at the head of the pack in the historical scene. He is Archie Taft, one of the Northwest's great early enthusiasts for wind in your face. The photograph was first published in a motorcycle periodical of the day. The original caption reveals that Taft established a new state record for the distance on a two-lap dirt track.

An enlargement of this photograph and many more are included in the Museum of History & Industry's presently most popular exhibit, "Fastest Corner in the Northwest: Motorcycle Racing Around Seattle 1910 to 2000." The exhibit was mounted in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling, with a lot of help from its members, including Samuelsen. Besides the photos, racing memorabilia and readable interpretations, the exhibit features 12 historical motorcycles, most driven repeatedly to victory by a pantheon of Northwest winners.

The show ends after Labor Day. Of course, there are other exhibits to enjoy while visiting MOHAI at Montlake, including Metropolis 150, the museum's three-year celebration of our city, county and state sesquicentennials.