1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge – From Our Corner

Celebrating WA bridges: `Galloping Gertie’

October 22, 2015 Secretary of State's Office

(Photos courtesy Washington State Archives) Throughout October, our State Archives is playing tribute to Washington’s historic bridges as documented in its collections as it celebrates Archives Month. In fact, this year’s free Archives Month poster features a dozen photos of historic WA bridges. Today we are featuring two photos of the infamous first Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed in a windstorm on Nov. 7, 1940, just months after opening . The top photo shows early construction of the bridge in…

Vote in April’s Archives Treasures poll!

April 15, 2015 Secretary of State's Office

After showing off our three Archives Treasures for April, we’re ready for you to choose a favorite. The three candidates are classic P.E. photos from the 1960s that were taken by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, territorial census rolls and drawings of the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge that collapsed soon after it opened. You can vote by checking out the online poll below. The poll closes this Friday at 4 p.m., so make sure to vote! #1 P.E….

Archives Treasure #3: 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge drawings

April 14, 2015 Secretary of State's Office

The third and final Archives Treasure for April is a collection of drawings for one of the most infamous bridges in the world. We’re talking about the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which opened to much fanfare on July 1, 1940, only to collapse four months later during a wind storm on Nov. 7, 1940. A replacement span opened in 1950. The State Archives holds more than 10 cubic feet of construction plans of the original 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge. They…

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