All Over The Map: Forgotten Seattle origins of the JanSport school backpack

The Resident Historian Podcast

The recent passing of a man from Seattle is shining new light on a forgotten chapter of modern Pacific Northwest mythology about a ubiquitous school accessory – which was derived from a critical piece of recreational gear.

Seattle and Puget Sound are built on myths about local retailers that conquered the world. Some are true, and some are not.

Take, for instance, the bogus "original" Starbucks at Pike Place Market, which is totally fake. Or, the story about Amazon being hatched in the garage of residential home in Bellevue, which is true. And who could forget the old chestnut about the guy who returned his snow tires to a store for a refund? The staff there considered him such a good customer, they gave him his money back – even though that store didn’t sell him the snow tires in the first place.