UPDATE: Sorry! Due to a large number of RSVPs for the event, we are now at capacity and no longer accepting registrations. Please e-mail our development team if you would like to be part of events like these in the future. If you live in the Olympia area, chances are you’ve driven on Ruddell Road. But do you know the history behind the Ruddell name? On Saturday, January 30, you can find out. Come to the “Ruddell Riddle,” a free event that sheds light…
Hey, if you can’t bend the ear of the Big Man in Red… maybe Governor Evans can get you that bike? Evans is seen here with “Santa” in 1968 in the rotunda. The Archives: Washington’s giant family scrapbook. What memorabilia will you find there?
Comcast Newsmakers talks with Sam Reed about the various functions of his office. It’s a good summary of the (rather odd) variety of functions the Office of the Secretary of State performs: elections, corporations, charities, archives, legacy project, the state library. The Washington State Library gets excellent treatment, both time-wise and praise-wise. If you’re impatient, you can skip ahead – we’re covered from 1:01 – 2:16.
What can you find in the State Archives? You may be surprised… Our Archives team was going through former Governor Albert Rosellini’s papers and spotted this: Sunday is the 46th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas.
Washington State Archivist Jerry Handfield is a nationally renowned expert in his field, with more than 20 years of experience in archives, history and records management, including service as State Coordinator for the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). So it was great news – though not surprising – that Handfield recently was appointed to the NHPRC. He will represent the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators on the commission, which meets next on November 20 in…
When you hear its nickname and learn how it works, you can’t help but think it’s some high-tech weapon that Dr. Evil would love using to take over the world. (Cue up sinister music and his waaaay-too-long laugh.) Alas, our State Archives’ Imaging Services staff isn’t using “The E-Beam” for nefarious purposes. Instead, it is a new tool that offers an inexpensive way to preserve and reproduce many documents at a much higher visual quality than before. As the only…
The State Archives this Saturday is hosting a special event to celebrate Thurston County’s 156th birthday and the City of Olympia’s 150th birthday. Two separate sessions are scheduled for this unique occasion: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Space is limited to 40 people at each session. The State Archives is located at 1129 Washington Street SE in Olympia. It’s located just south of the Old County Courthouse on the Washington Street side. …
One of the great things about our State Archives is its vast collection of historical photographs. An example is the work of a talented amateur photographer named Mary Rowland Mires. Her photos give us an intimate look at pioneer, family, and Native American life in Western Washington. Here are some shots she took in the early 1900s. The following info about Mary was provided by the State Archives’ Mary Hammer: Born in McMinnville, Oregon, in 1862, Mary’s mother moved the…