…taking a trek to the very top of the Capitol building is no longer possible? More than 10 years ago, the top of the dome (or as some refer to it, “the cupola”) was closed off to the general public due to safety issues. The spiral staircase of more than 200 steps was deemed unsafe if someone was injured and needed medical attention. Maneuvering a stretcher was nearly impossible up the narrow staircase. Today, only maintenance and a few local birds make…
Not to be a killjoy, but it’s been pointed out that one can’t willy-nilly (or Willy Tapeworm) go and change the Great Seal of Washington. Turns out, to do so takes a constitutional amendment, and you can’t amend the Constitution by voter initiative. As we’ve noted, James Vaughn of Ortingfiled an initiative to change the official seal from its depiction of the Father of the Country, George Washington, to one featuring a tapeworm dressed in a three-piece suit, attached to the nether region…
… Washington-themed note cards are being sold for bargain prices through the Secretary of State’s Office!? The Archives Division recently slashed prices for three separate packages of note cards: Early Statehood note cards are scanned images of Washington trademark designs from 1892 and 1895; this pack includes eight cards and envelopes for $3. The Salmon Run note cards feature salmon trademark designs from1982 and 1897; eight cards and envelopes are being sold for $4. And, the Asahel Curtis note cards display beautiful scenes of Washington landscapes taken in 1925….
… that the wool carpet in the State Reception room is one of a kind? The carpet was designed by the Mohawk Company in New York in the 1920’s. It features the official Washington State flower, the rhododendron. After they finished the carpet, the makers destroyed the mold used to create it so that no one could use the design. At the time it was the largest single loom carpet in the world. It measures 25 feet wide by 55 feet long and protects a…
… that an island used to float around in Capitol Lake during December? In 1959, Fort Lewis engineers built “Christmas Island” – it was something of a festive, decorated float that drifted around the lake blaring Christmas music from its huge speakers. Most Olympians who have been around for at least 20 years may remember the days when the man-made island sailed around the lake, but it was moved sometime in the 80s to South Sound Center. Does any long-time resident of the Olympia area remember…
…the “Ginger Legislative Building” is up for silent auction in the Lt. Governor’s office? That’s right; this amazing gingerbread replica of the State Capitol goes to the highest bidder. Just imagine this festive piece in your home over the holidays and how it would be the talk of your family gatherings. And, all proceeds benefit the South Sound Habitat for Humanity which is a part of the Combined Fund Drive. As a matter of fact, our office contributes to the…
… that you can find real gold in our State Capitol? (To be fair though, there’s so little of it that I used to tell tour groups there is more gold in my grandma’s teeth than in the capitol!) In the State Reception room hang six red French velvet curtains with a gold State Seal in the center. Each seal was hand stitched by a different woman back in the 1920’s, so each of the seals are unique. The thread used to write “The…
Media celeb Sarah Palin, busy promoting her new best-seller campaign recap/memoir, “Going Rogue,” reportedly will celebrate Thanksgiving with her family at “Aunt Katie’s house” in the Tri-Cities. The Tri-City Herald reports that the former veep candidate and former Alaska governor is expected to break bread with Katie Johnson, Palin’s mother’s sister. Palin, who went to college in Idaho and has a number of friends in Washington, including Dino Rossi, is the granddaughter of Hanford workers. Her mother, Sally, graduated from…
Didyaknow that four statues in the Capitol rotunda are replicas of ancient Roman-style firepots designed by the Tiffany Company? More than 2,000 years ago, the firepots were placed on the hilltops of Rome and filled with oil, then lit them to signal Senators that session was to begin. Since they didn’t have the luxury of cell phones or computers to communicate long distances, this system worked quite well. Today though, the firepots standing outside each legislative chamber are never lit with oil,…
The very first protesters on the State Capitol steps were the Sons of the American Revolution. In 1929, they protested the fact that everyone could walk across the bronze State Seal with the image of George Washington on the rotunda floor. They thought it was disrespectful that citizens could actually tread across the face of our first president. One year later, their voices were heard and ropes did go up to protect the State Seal. In that short amount of…