If you’re looking for old government records or genealogical info for communities ranging from Omak to Yakima to the Tri-Cities, or even old relics from the Ellensburg Rodeo, the State Archives’ Central branch office on the Central Washington University campus in E-Burg is the place to be.

The Archives’ Central branch contains about 3 million documents.  This week, the branch’s research center was named in honor of Tim Eckert, the longtime archivist for the Central branch who is retiring after 30-plus years in the biz. 

The Archives’ Central branch is located at the corner of D Street and 14th Avenue on the CWU campus in Ellensburg. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  In addition to the main Archives office and Southwest Region branch in Olympia, there also are regional branches in Bellevue, Bellingham and Cheney. 

To learn more about the State Archives, go to www.secstate.wa.gov/archives.