In 1974, Spokane became the smallest city to ever host a World's Fair. The community used the opportunity to re-vitalize the depressed downtown district. The Great Northern Railroad Depot, which had occupied the centrally located Havermale Island for the better part of a century, was torn down. In its place, Spokanites erected many buildings and planned outdoor spaces, the seeds of which would later become Riverfront Park.

Looking through the House of Representatives Group Photos, 1883-1981 collection, one might notice the curious presence of women in the 1883, 1885, and 1887 photos of the territorial house legislature. Were there women legislators in the territorial period?

This photo is from the City of Spokane Public Works Department, and harkens back to a time when horses and carriages still reigned supreme in the City of Spokane. In 1908, the Washington Street Bridge was constructed over the Spokane River to provide an avenue for the rapidly growing city’s population.

Meet William Hoppy. Born in November 1903, Hoppy was convicted of Grand Larceny and sentenced to 2-15 years in the State Reformatory. Hoppy was 25 years old at the time of sentencing and worked in Grays Harbor as a hoist, or crane, engineer. In the metadata on his page at the archives, we also see that he was not a Washington native, but was born in Missouri. The Washington State Parole Board released Hoppy a little less than two years into his sentence, which apparently was a mistake, as a search on the archives main page for “William Hoppy” shows he was arrested again in 1930. By then, Hoppy had moved from Grays Harbor to Yakima, and was charged with Burglary. For William Hoppy, reform did not take.

The Corrections Department, Reformatory, Admissions Registers, 1908-1923 contains many stories about individuals such as Hoppy. These criminal records, in many cases, provide a glimpse into the lives of citizens and family members from the past. They are perfect for research and general interest. Do your own search today. Grandpa may surprise you!

The Digital Archives recently added Trademark Records to its online collections thanks to the efforts of the Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. A trademark, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is a brand name, unique word, name, symbol, device, or any combination that identifies and distinguishes a product or service from other products or services. The records include applications and samples of the trademark like the image included above for State Seal Cigars manufactured in Tacoma, Washington. Other documents in this collection include reservations, assignments, amendments, and renewals.

Hotel magnate Louis Davenport was a seminal figure in early Spokane’s history. This photo, shows the man himself leading a group of businessmen up the Mt. Spokane Toll road to the summit. The road was constructed by Spokan Times publisher Francis H. Cook. After losing his initial fortune during the crash of 1893, Cook sold his farmlands to buy a tract of land leading to the summit. Working long hours by hand with the help of his son Silas, he constructed a road all the way up the mountainside. In 1920, Cook put the land under the control of Davenport and died soon after. The photo above shows a group of businessmen looking to make improvements to the mountain. In 1927, the land was given over to the protection of the Washington State Parks Commission, and became part of the first state park in Eastern Washington. Do a search for “Davenport” on the Washington State Archives Main Page to find much more about the man and his legacy.

Inmates at the McNeil Island Corrections Center were exposed to a host of activities to help pass the time. These activities are highlighted in one of our photograph collections, Department of Corrections, McNeil Island Corrections Center Photograph Collection, 1855-2010. To find these records, run a keyword search for the word “Prisoners.” Clicking on the Photographs results will show you the activities available to inmates. Some of these activities included inmate jobs, classes, and sports.

We would like to share with you how we make the paper collections from the Archives available online. Currently, there are over 36 million searchable digitized records on the Digital Archives, but a very small percent of them are from the paper archives. Please take a few moments to read about how a paper record becomes available on our website.

Moran State Park was founded on Orcas Island by Robert Moran in 1921. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, part of Roosevelt’s New Deal, worked at improving the park. The CCC aimed to employ unemployed workers while teaching them skills to succeed in the job force. During their time working at the park, they used local natural resources to make improvements in the park for the public. Pictured above you can see an example of how they used logs to build a bridge at Cascade Falls. Explore 205 more photos of the CCC and their impact on Moran State Park, including their mascot “Billie the Buck,” by searching for the term ‘Moran’ in the Keyword search or by clicking here.

Are you enjoying the summer weather? I know this guy was. Back in 1965 these folks were waterskiing on Lake Chelan, enjoying the summer and relaxing on the lake. This photo was taken from the General Subjects Photograph Collection, 1845-2005. Since this collection offers great variety of photographs and a large span of time, it is a great way to browse through Washington’s history. The easiest way to access these photographs is to click on Collections, then the Photographs Collection and then select the General Subjects Photograph Collection, 1845-2005. If you intend to browse simply click Browse this series.

Have you ever wondered how long government agencies keep public records? Who decides which records can be destroyed and which to preserve? These are the types of questions addressed by the Local Records Committee, made up of the State Archivist, and representatives from both the State Auditor’s office and the Attorney General’s office. They decide the schedule and procedures for records retention, preservation, and destruction of public records produced and held at the various local government agencies. Click here to listen to the recordings of their meetings from 2007 to present.

Looking for something to do this summer? Roslyn was a late 19th-Century mining town with a striking ethnic diversity, well represented in the town’s 26 cemeteries. These cemeteries have gained historic status, and are a great place to learn about Washington’s fraternal and ethnic histories. Here is the link to the Roslyn Cemeteries Map that list the following Cemeteries: Cacciatori D'Africa Cemetery, Croatian Cemetery #2, Dr. Starcevic Cemetery #1, Druid Cemetery, Eagles Cemetery, Foresters Cemetery, IOOF Cemetery, Lithuanian Cemetery, Masonic Cemetery, Moose Cemetery, Mount Olivet Cemetery, New City Cemetery, New Knights of Pythias Cemetery, Old City Cemetery, Old Knights of Pythias Cemetery, Polish Cemetery, Red Men Lodge Cemetery, Roslyn Memorial Gardens, Santa Barbara #39 Cemetery, Serbian Cemetery, Silvio Pellico Cemetery, Slovak Cemetery, Sokol Cemetery, Veterans Cemetery, and Veterans Cemetery #2 (County Cemetery). These cemeteries can be found in the Cemetery Records Collection. The titles listed include general information about each cemetery, their geo-location, how many people were indexed, when and how the surveys were conducted, and a total of 71 photographs of the Roslyn cemeteries.

Grand Coulee Dam was the center of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. Built between 1933 and 1942 as a public works project of the New Deal, it provided irrigation to approximately 700,000 acres in Eastern Washington, making the desert bloom via the Banks Lake reservoir. Grand Coulee Dam also produces 21 billion kilowatts of electricity each year, and recreational opportunities abound on Lake Roosevelt, which lies behind the dam. There were costs as well: 77 people died during construction, small communities and hunting grounds disappeared beneath the new lake, and the dam brought an end to the great salmon migrations to the rivers and streams above.

The Digital Archives holds other records containing information on the dam. A “Keyword” search of Grand Coulee Dam on our home page retrieves 477 minutes, ordinances, and resolutions, 93 photos, 74 corporation records, 34 audio files, and a few maps and state publications. The photo above can be found here.

The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project was authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s as part of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s effort to water the west. The project area covers over 1 million acres, of which nearly 700,000 are currently supplied with irrigation water from the reservoir (Banks Lake) near Grand Coulee Dam. The Washington State Archives has the following records about the project online at the Digital Archives: 1,391 minutes, ordinances, and resolutions, 145 audio records, 5 maps, 4 photographs, and 1 e-pub. Do a keyword search on “Columbia Basin Irrigation Project” to find them; and watch for the upcoming treasure on Grand Coulee Dam.

The Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation electronic publications are just one set of the many and varied series found in the E-Publications Collection. There are records and general information available from several boards, commissions, and various governmental offices. Articles from these agencies range from studies and reports, to advertisements, old college catalogs, class schedules, and so much more. Many of the reports by these government entities provide historical background on the places, cultures, and economics of Washington State – an excellent source of information for historians and genealogists.

Here is a fascinating new item—the very first records book of Washington Territory government in Thurston County. Beginning in 1852 as a county of Oregon Territory, Thurston encompassed all of present-day western Washington north of Lewis County. The First Record Book of Thurston County covers the years 1852–1857. As you can see from the cover, and looking through the pages, the book is quite old and delicate, but thanks to volunteers at the Archives, this valuable treasure is digitally available for all to see. In the book you will find 529 pages of official county business and transactions, such as deeds, probate records, marriage records, and more. One such example is this petition, on 06 September 1852, by William Packwood for a new school district:

The Frontier Justice Collection consists of valuable information about laws and justice throughout the Territory of Washington prior to statehood in 1889. One of the counties’ records in the collection, Asotin County, has been scanned so in addition to the general information about each case, you can see the actual court documents. Of the 277 items in the Asotin records, there are 8 probate, 21 criminal, and 73 civil court cases. The types of cases include: collections, foreclosures, deeds, divorce, custody, guardianship, estate administration, adultery, murder, fornication, horse and cattle theft, burglary, and illegal liquor sales. The criminal and divorce cases can provide quite an amusing read – Enjoy! Asotin Frontier Justice Records.

Federal censuses between 1790 and 1840 did not include American Indians; 1860 was the first time they were included in the general population, provided they lived near a military fort. The census act of 1879 authorized the enumerations of all Indians within the United States. However, it wasn’t until the census act of July 4, 1884 that Indian agents/superintendants were required to include all Indians – those living on reservations and those living within the general population – on all censuses taken thereafter.

The Office of the Secretary of State’s Historic Records Project and the State Archives are in the process of making these records available online through indexing and digitizing the Indian Census rolls for Washington between 1884 and 1940. Not all reservations, nor groups, are included in the collection, but there are 29 tribes recorded in all. Three titles are currently available online: The Columbia Tribe (1887-1910), the Colville Tribe (1890-1907 & 1911-1914), and the Couer d’Alene Tribe (1887-1902), all of which are from the Colville Reservation census rolls.

A scanning project at the Eastern Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives turned up this unusual marriage record from 1913 between King Corn & Queen Alfalfa. “King Corn” is entered as a resident of Spokane, age 17, race as “White Dent,” and occupation as “Building up the Community.” “Queen Alfalfa” was 16, a resident of Yakima, her race was “Green” and her occupation was “Helping King Corn.” Research by Lee Pierce, Archives Assistant, revealed that the marriage license was part of a publicity stunt for a local agricultural fair. Click here to explore thousands of Washington marriage records online at the Washington State Archives, or contact our State Archives research team at research@sos.wa.gov.

Did you know that most records found on our website can be shared with your Facebook friends? Whenever you come across a record you particularly enjoy or find amusing, simply click the button (next to the printer icon), to let all your Facebook friends in on your discovery.

Few people know that the 44th President of the United States once lived in Seattle. Stanley Ann Obama lived with her infant son in a second-floor apartment in this Capitol Hill home while she took courses at the University of Washington during the 1961-1962 academic year. The house at 516 13th Avenue East has long since been razed to make way for an apartment building, but you can still view a photo of the building—and thousands of other King County properties—at the Washington State Digital Archives website. Click here to browse the King County Real Property Record Cards Collection, 1937-1972.

Did you know that you can also follow us on Twitter? Each week we highlight different collections, the most current accessions, or new happenings at the Washington State Archives. Our profile name is WADigitArchives, and here are a few previous tweets.

Where is the Isle of Man? A farmer from there shows up on an 1877#WA Territory #Census http://bit.ly/jpYweP #Trivia #WA

Taking oaths to prove: not an anarchist, 1945 http://bit.ly/lng2CJ able to read, write & speak English, 1960 http://bit.ly/j0vfJC #History #WA More #Mugshots from WaDigitArchives: Men & their big hair, 1919.http://bit.ly/ixPRzq #History #Hairstyle #Archives #Vintage #Hair #WA

Click here to follow us on Twitter.

Currently, the cemetery records series provides indexes to 347 cemeteries across the state. Each index was created by volunteers who put boots on the ground to gather information from each gravesite - not an easy undertaking (pun intended). These volunteers not only catalogued each gravesite for the indexes, but they also conducted research in order to provide some background on the cemeteries. For example, Maggie Rail writes of Greenwood Cemetery in Whitman County: "The first listed burial in the cemetery was in Oct 1878, which is when it was the Oregon Territory. This means the cemetery must have been established about that time. There are two other burials that year, one in November and another in December. After walking this cemetery and seeing so many vacant spaces in the older sections, I am convinced there are many unmarked graves, which I do not account for. I will continue to try however to see if I can find more early records." This is but one sample of the great effort put forth by the volunteers, many of whom are members of the Washington State Cemetery Association, in order for the public to have online access to this wealth of information.

The Washington State Archives maintains hundreds of documents and artifacts related to campaigns for elected positions, along with the products of those elected officials. For example, there are several online audio files, meeting minutes, ordinances, and resolutions showing our legislators in action. Additionally, the State Archives has a collection of campaign posters, pins, placards, and other paraphernalia. A quick way to find several of these online records is to enter “political campaigns” in the Search by Keyword section above, or contact our State Archives research team at research@sos.wa.gov.

The Washington State Archives offers a wide array of military records including: muster rolls, casualty lists, service records, enlistment registers, bonus claims, and much much more. The records date back to the Territorial days through the Vietnam War. Many of the records have images available, however, even the non-image records provide fascinating details. Take a peek at our State’s military history at Military Records. For more information, contact the State Archives research team at research@sos.wa.gov.

Three series of audio files are online at the Washington State Digital Archives: 1) House of Representatives Committee Meeting Recordings, 1973-2002; 2) Floor Recordings from the Office of Secretary of Senate, 1971-2010; and 3) Spokane Voices of the Pioneers Oral Histories. Legislative audio files include a broad range of topics: social, health, family, housing, utilities, energy, environment, agriculture, commerce, finance, labor, education, elections, and so much more. The oral history accounts cover topics such as homesteading and wheat farming, schools and hospitals, entertainment and social clubs, railroads and bridges, and stories of Spokane’s pioneers to mention a few. Enjoy these recordings from the Digital Archives: Audio Records.

The cities we live in, the fire districts that protect us, the school districts that educate us, the health districts who heal us when we’re sick. They all have something in common: Minutes, Ordinances, and Resolutions passed by their governing bodies. Washington State Archives has awarded over $3.1 million to 266 local government agencies over the past ten years to preserve these types of public records and share them with our constituents, the public. This year, our staff scanned, indexed, and uploaded Minutes, Ordinances, and Resolutions from 37 different local government entities to our Digital Archives website. We added over 300,000 new pages—from as early as 1877, to as recent as 2010—to these collections. Take some time and see if your local government has records on our website, and while you’re searching, see if your name shows up in our collections. Washington State Archives has over 28 million searchable records online.

Boeing has been an important part of the Washington State economy since its founding in Seattle in 1916. The Boeing Clipper pictured here debuted in 1941. The Washington State Digital Archives has a considerable collection of images related to Boeing in the State Library Photograph Collection.

Explore the State Library Photograph Collection. Here is a link to the record seen above.

The Washington State Archives is responsible for the preservation of archival electronic records from the many state and local government agencies in Washington. Examples of these records are the official websites of Governor Gary Locke (1997-2005) and Governor Mike Lowry (1993-1997). Governor Locke’s website is an important historic document and includes 1,235 web pages and more than 3,200 files from the Locke Administration. Among the files are 1,605 press releases, 536 speeches, and 162 media events.

Explore the Website of Governor Gary Locke. Explore the Website of Governor Mike Lowry.
Read a press release about the preservation of Governor Locke’s website.

This collection contains the names of over 500 inmates housed in the Territorial Penitentiary – Seatco, near what is now the town of Bucoda. The privately-run prison operated from 1877 until 1888 when the new Penitentiary was opened in Walla Walla. The register shows name, alias, residence, place convicted, crime, sentence, physical condition, and date of discharge, parole or escape and is a fascinating glimpse into the social history of Washington at a key moment in our history.

Explore the Corrections Department, Penitentiary, Convict Record series. Here is a link to the record seen above.

The event includes a 2:30 p.m. tour of the State Archives’ Eastern Region Branch conducted by Eastern Regional Branch Archives Assistant Lee Pierce. A demonstration and tour of the Digital Archives will take place at 3:30 p.m. Digital Archivist Kerry Barbour and Assistant Archivist Larry Cebula will demonstrate the Digital Archives’ website, and Network Administrator Harold Stoehr will lead a tour of its state-of-the-art facility.

This charming image of tourist cabins at Soap Lake is one of a series of 265 hand-colored glass lantern slides taken between 1920 and 1930 to promote tourism in Washington. Images show the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, the Columbia Basin Project, the benefits of irrigation and water projects to Washington State, building projects, hotels, garages, dams, fishing and recreational activities, transportation facilities, shipwrecks, and scenic views of forests and rivers. A set of postcards from these slides is available from the Office of the Secretary of State.

Explore the Conservation Department, Planning and Development Division, Lantern Slide Shows Collection.

The years 1907 through 1930 were years of rapid growth of the built infrastructure within the City of Spokane. Literally all major concrete arch bridges were constructed during this time period, and many, such as Monroe Street (1910) and Latah Creek (1911), still remain in their original form. The construction pictured here is of the Down River Bridge in 1927. Falsework is being put in place for eventual concrete construction. This photograph is part of the Spokane City Public Works Collection, which feature over 500 8 X 10 Black and White construction progress photos of nearly all Spokane bridges constructed between 1907 and 1930. This photograph is by long-time Spokane photographer T. W. Tolman.

Explore the Spokane City Public Works Collection.

This atmospheric 1953 portrait of downtown Ritzville was taken by photographer A. M. “Burt” Kendrick. From 1935 until 1976, Kendrick was the town’s principal photographer, and the 40,000 or more pictures in his collection include images of early agriculture, school portraits, parades, accidents and other notable events. The Washington State Digital Archives currently has over 5,000 of Kendrick’s photographs online, offering an unparalleled view of life in a small-town America in the mid-20th century.

Explore the A M Kendrick Collection.

Ritzville State Bank, Downtown Ritzville, WA, 1953, A. M. Kendrick Collection, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives. Original item held at Washington State Archives, Eastern Regional Branch, Cheney, WA. ]]> http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/News/View/52 2010-02-18T00:00:00 Here at the Digital Archives we have many dedicated viewers who often share their compliments, suggestions and questions for our website. Occasionally we like to share these questions and answers with our broader audience so that our other visitors can benefit from this knowledge. This month’s questions are:

• What kinds of records do you have on your site?
• I have records that may be of interest to the Archives. What should I do?
• Why are some Social Security numbers displayed?
• What are the copyright restrictions on using images on the Digital Archives website?
• Why does Internet Explorer crash when I try to view images?

Click “MORE” to read the answers to these common questions.

• Early Statehood - $3.00/package
• Salmon Run - $4.00/package
• Asahel Curtis - $5.00/package

The cards can be purchased through the Secretary of State Online Store or by dropping by the Archives.

For those not familiar with these beautiful note cards, a description and picture of each package is below:

Early Statehood note cards are scans of trademark designs submitted to the Secretary of State between 1892 and 1895, and includes eight note cards and envelopes.

Salmon Run note cards are scans of trademark designs submitted to the Secretary of State between 1892 and 1897, and includes eight note cards and envelopes.

Asahel Curtis note cards contain promotional lantern slides of Washington in 1925, and includes 12 note cards and envelopes.

• My uncle died in Washington in 1970. Why can’t I find a copy of his death certificate on your website?
• The Social Security Death Index record on your website contains incorrect information for one of my deceased relatives. Can you correct the information?
• My sister and I were both married in Washington in 2008. Why is a copy of her Marriage Certificate on your website, and mine is not?
• When I click to view an image, Internet Explorer displays an error message and closes my Internet Browser. How do I fix this?
• How can I submit my suggestions to the Digital Archives?

Click “MORE” to read the answers to these common questions.

Kendrick was born in Northport, Washington on Aug. 23 1896, and moved to Ritzville in 1935. From 1935 until his death in 1976, Kendrick was the area’s main portrait and studio photographer. The majority of the collection consists of over 9000 4x5 and 5x7 negatives, and photo prints in various sizes. The images that pre-date 1930 are either copy negatives created by Kendrick after he arrived in Ritzville in 1935, or experimental photos taken by Kendrick in northern Idaho and northeast Washington as a teenager, 1912-1920.

The collection will be searchable on the Digital Archives in stages, beginning with the general historical part of the collection _ about 1,360 images _ that features farm scenes, towns, businesses, churches, and other material. The next phase will consist of Kendrick's portrait work, including families, weddings, school sports, class graduations, choirs, and more. Before coming to the Washington State Archives in Cheney, WA, the collection was at the Adams County Rural Library District No. 2 (formerly Ritzville Public Library) in the city of Ritzville.

The Digital Archives is one of two case studies to be conducted in the United States. Three other public institutions will be studied world-wide including two in Europe and one in Canada.

Since its doors opened in October of 2004, the Digital Archives Program has made considerable progress.

The Washington State Digital Archives preserves a wide range of original electronic records and digitized paper records from birth, marriage, death, census, military, institutional and naturalization records, to legal and historic records such as the State Constitution and the first election results in the Washington Territory. Click here for to search Governor Lowry's website.