… The Washington State Archives was used to crack an unsolved mystery here at the State Capitol. 

For years, rumor had it that there was only one fatality in the construction of the Legislative Building, but it was never confirmed until recent years.  In March of 2007, Tony Aitken, a history instructor at South Puget Sound Community College and a State Capitol Tour Guide,  decided to get to the bottom of this rumor.  He used the Washington State Archives to research Fatal Accident Cards, from 1915-1928.  What he discovered was that in fact Mr. Godat, a construction worker, was the only fatality during the construction of the building. Unfortunately, Mr. Godat fell down an elevator shaft on his first day of work.

More than 4,000 Fatal Accident Cards from 1915-1928 can be researched online through the Washington State Archives.   Each card shows the name, nature of injury, placed injured, employer name and date of accident.  Visit Digital Archives for more information. The photo above is from the State Archives’ collections.