2016 Archives Month poster. (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives)

When it comes to parks, Washington is pretty blessed.

Just consider our national parks. Our oldest, Mount Rainier, includes its namesake peak that majestically stands nearly three miles above sea level and draws visitors not only from our state but around the nation and world. Then there is Olympic National Park, which is highlighted by the breathtaking view from Hurricane Ridge, the incredible rain forests on the park’s west (and wet) side, and the rocky, pristine stretch of coastline. Finally, there is North Cascades NP, known for its rugged wilderness and many glaciers. (Our National Park Service just celebrated its centennial this summer!)

We also have more than 100 awesome state parks. They’re found throughout Washington, offering camping and recreational opportunities for one and all. And then there are the seemingly countless county and city parks found in our communities. They offer places to have picnics, relax and have fun.

When you consider our many options, it’s no wonder Washingtonians love their parks!

Our State Archives is celebrating its annual Archives Month in October by making Washington’s parks this year’s theme.

“Washington has more than its share of famous and beautiful parks,” said State Archivist Steve Excell. “It’s no wonder that Washingtonians love and use their parks so much! Our State Archives has a great collection of photos of our national, state and local parks, so it makes sense to highlight them as this year’s Archives Month theme.”

The State Archives has a great-looking free poster to commemorate Archives Month. The poster (shown above) features classic color and black-and-white photos of Washington parks and is available in the State Archives headquarters in Olympia, the front desk of our Executive Office at the Capitol and at all regional Archives branches in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney and Ellensburg, as well as several local historical societies, universities with archives/library collections, museums and heritage centers. Get your poster while supplies last! If you want to see the digital version of the new poster, just go here. The poster includes images from archival institutions across the state, including the University of Washington, Seattle Municipal Archives, Western Washington University, National Park Service, Tacoma Public Library, King County Archives and the State Archives.

Archives Month runs throughout October. Here is a rundown of events at various Washington State Archives branches:

State Archives/Southwest Regional Branch (Olympia)

• The Basics of Historical Research: A Free Workshop, Oct. 22: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., State Archives, 1129 Washington St. SE, Olympia
The Basics of Historical Research is for teachers, students, beginning genealogists, and others interested in exploring the past. You’ll get practical advice and learn the basic steps for gathering the information that you will need to investigate and interpret a historical topic for a museum exhibit, class project, community celebration, curriculum enrichment, research article, History Day, a classroom based assessment (CBA), Core State Language Arts Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies or personal historical interest. This class will cover: Primary sources, what are they? Secondary Sources, how are they useful? We will also cover how to use the library, how to use archival collections, how to find and use reliable online resources, how to properly cite your sources and how to use a variety of sources. For more information, please contact Tracy Rebstock at [email protected] or (360) 753-1684). Seating is limited, so register as soon as possible here.

• History Happy Hour, Oct. 27: 7 p.m.-9 p.m., Olympia
Think you know Washington parks history? Come to the Three Magnets Brewing Co. (600 Franklin St. SE in Olympia) to test your knowledge on Washington facts for a chance to win prizes in our trivia night challenge! We’re joining forces once again with the Washington State Historical Society to bring you the most fun-filled factoids about your city and state parks.

Eastern Regional Branch/Digital Archives (Cheney):

• Open house of the Archives branch, Oct. 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 960 Washington St., Cheney. Staff will host tours of the facility, document exhibits, give presentations on new records in the branch and show how to navigate the Digital Archives website. (509) 235-7500, ext. 100 or [email protected].

Puget Sound Regional Branch (Bellevue):

• The Basics of Historical Research: A Free Workshop, Oct. 1, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., State Archives’ Puget Sound Branch, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue
The Basics of Historical Research is for teachers, students, beginning genealogists, and others interested in exploring the past. You’ll get practical advice and learn the basic steps for gathering the information that you will need to investigate and interpret a historical topic for a museum exhibit, class project, community celebration, curriculum enrichment, research article, History Day, a classroom based assessment (CBA), Core State Language Arts Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies or personal historical interest. This class will cover: What primary sources are—and aren’t; What historical sources are—and how to use them How to use the library system How to use archival collections How to find and use reliable online resources How to properly cite your sources How to use information from different sources. For further information, please contact Mike Saunders at [email protected] or (425) 564-3950. Event is at Seating is limited, so register as soon as possible here.

• The Basics of Historical Research: A Free Workshop, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Kitsap Regional Library, 612 Fifth St., Bremerton
The Basics of Historical Research is for teachers, students, beginning genealogists, and others interested in exploring the past. You’ll get practical advice and learn the basic steps for gathering the information that you will need to investigate and interpret a historical topic for a museum exhibit, class project, community celebration, curriculum enrichment, research article, History Day, a classroom based assessment (CBA), Core State Language Arts Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies or personal historical interest. This class will cover: What primary sources are—and aren’t; What historical sources are—and how to use them How to use the library system How to use archival collections How to find and use reliable online resources How to properly cite your sources How to use information from different sources. For further information, please contact Mike Saunders at [email protected] or (425) 564-3950. Seating is limited, so register as soon as possible here.

Northwest Regional Branch (Bellingham):

JUST ADDED: • Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting and Presentation, Oct. 11, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Stillaguamish Room at Haller Park, 154 Cox Ave., Arlington
Janette Gomes of the Washington State Archives’ Northwest Regional Branch and Kathryn Devine of the Washington State Library will share resources available to the family historian in their presentation It’s All Relative: Finding Your Family at the Washington State Archives and the Washington State Library. Society members and the general public are welcome to attend.  This presentation is free. For more information, please contact the SVGS at [email protected].

• Open House of the Archives branch, Oct. 27, 4:30–6 p.m., 808 25th St., Bellingham
Come learn about resources available at the Goltz-Murray Archives Building, which houses the Northwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives and two programs of Western Washington University Libraries’ division of Heritage Resources: the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies and the University Archives & Records Management.  A slide show will be on display and, until 5:30 p.m., staff will be giving behind-the-scenes tours.  For more information, contact (360) 650-3125 or [email protected].

Central Regional Branch (Ellensburg):

• Yakima Valley Genealogy Society Annual Fall Workshop, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 7809 Tieton Drive, Yakima
Do you love researching genealogy and family history? The Annual Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Fall Workshop is for you.  There will be many topics of genealogical history research to choose to attend during four different sessions! Topics include Genealogy Photo Preservation, Military Pension Acts, River Migrations, Immigrant Labor, Washington State Central Archives, Online Foreign Newspapers, Quaker Records, Adoption Family Research & DNA, Catholic Records, Life Aboard Ship and more! For more info or to sign up, call (509) 248-1328 or e-mail: [email protected] .

• Second Annual Ellensburg Archives and Museum Crawl, Oct. 8, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Ellensburg
A tour of the area’s archives and museums, including Ellensburg Public Library Archives, Kittitas County Historical Museum, Kittitas County Genealogical Society, CWU Museum of Culture and Environment, Washington State Archives – Central Branch, and the Central Washington University Archives and Special collections. The tour is free, but reservations are required. To reserve your spot, please e-mail [email protected] or call (509) 963-1717.