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Tag: Olympia

‘Tis the season!

‘Tis the season!

The holiday season is officially here and the smell of evergreen fills the Legislative Building with the arrival of this year’s Holiday Kids’ Tree! The tree, delivered November 28th, comes from Rainier, WA and was donated by Weyerhaeuser’s Vail Tree Farm. The Noble fir stands at 30-feet tall and will be adorned with over 7,000 LED lights and stuffed animals for this year’s theme of “Friends of the Forest”. The “Friends of the Forest” theme features animals native to the State of…

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Check out 1950 Washington highway map

Check out 1950 Washington highway map

Most Washingtonians probably can’t even remember life before Interstate 5, I-90 and I-405 were built in our state. But a 1950 state highway map found on our Legacy Washington webpage shows the routes drivers traveled before the arrival of our interstate freeways. You can make some interesting observations by closely examining the map, which was published by the Washington State Highway Commission: The main north-south highway in Western Washington was U.S. 99, which connected Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and…

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Second-grader gives WA Capitol thumbs-up in letter

Second-grader gives WA Capitol thumbs-up in letter

Washington’s Capitol Campus receives thousands of visitors each year, including many tourists from other states or other nations. But a large number are elementary school students from right here in Washington. Usually, an entire grade of students from a school will make the bus trip to Olympia to see the campus. For most of these students, it’s their first time to the Capitol. So you can imagine their reaction when they look up at the top of the domed Legislative…

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Legacy Washington honors those with ties to Korea

Legacy Washington honors those with ties to Korea

As it prepares for the September launch of its new online program and exhibit called “Korea 65: The Forgotten War Remembered,” our Legacy Washington team gathered about 40 people who are either Korean Americans or connected to the Korean War. They included veterans and people displaced by the war. The group met at the Korean War Memorial on the Capitol Campus in Olympia Monday for photographs, followed by an honorees reception in Secretary of State Kim Wyman’s office and a…

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The 1890 vote that decided Washington’s capital

The 1890 vote that decided Washington’s capital

(Images courtesy of Washington State Archives) Unlike this year, Washington voters in 1890 weren’t pondering initiatives on making it harder to raise taxes or protecting endangered species.  (We couldn’t even vote on statewide initiatives back then!) One issue that statewide voters did consider on this date 125 years ago would have enormous impact on Washington: Which city should be the young state’s capital? The three finalists were Ellensburgh (yes, there was an “H” on the end back then), North Yakima…

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Vote in July Archives Treasures poll!

Vote in July Archives Treasures poll!

What do an old boat, an old building and an 1886 U.S. flag have in common? They are the three Archives Treasures for July, and it’s time for you to vote on your favorite. Specifically, your choices are photos of the Greenwood Ark, which was docked in Olympia; photos of the Olympia Odd Fellows Lodge; and a 38-star U.S. flag from 1886. You can vote using our online poll, which closes July 15 at 5 p.m. Make sure to vote!…

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Archives Treasure #2: Odd Fellows Lodge photos

Archives Treasure #2: Odd Fellows Lodge photos

Odd Fellows Lodge in Olympia in early 1900s. (Photos courtesy Washington State Digital Archives) The second Archives Treasure this month is a bit Odd. Literally. It’s a collection of photos and documents of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Olympia. The building, located at the corner of 5th and Capitol Way, was constructed in 1888. It burned down on Jan. 7, 1937. The Odd Fellows chose not to rebuild, but moved their meeting place to the Barnes building, where they continue…

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July Archives Treasure #1: Greenwood Ark

July Archives Treasure #1: Greenwood Ark

Greenwood Ark (Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) The first of our three July Archives Treasures is a collection of photos of an ark built by a man who feared a huge flood. Sound familiar? Most Olympians are unaware that for more than 20 years, an ark sat in the West Bay, awaiting the high waters that one person thought would wash away humanity. “Captain” William Lound Greenwood (1866-1958) began his ark in 1920 atop the hull of an old…

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From WA Rural Heritage: Celebrating 1889 inauguration

From WA Rural Heritage: Celebrating 1889 inauguration

(Photo courtesy North Olympic Heritage/Washington Rural Heritage) Since Washington’s 125th birthday celebration has come and gone, you’d think we’d be done with looking back at the year we reached statehood. Think again. This photo offers a side view of the inauguration of our  first governor of the new state, Elisha P. Ferry, in Olympia on Nov. 18, 1889, exactly 125 years ago Tuesday. More than 3,000 Washingtonians celebrated their new statehood that day, marching in parades and watching the new…

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Drivers beware: I-5 will be mess in Olympia next 2 weekends

Drivers beware: I-5 will be mess in Olympia next 2 weekends

This part of Interstate 5 in Olympia will face lane and ramp closures during the weekends of Sept. 12 and Sept. 19. Very long backups are expected. (Photos courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation)  We normally love to encourage people to come visit Olympia, especially our beautiful Capitol Campus. But if you’re driving on Interstate 5 during the next two weekends, make sure to avoid using the freeway in our state capital during that time. That’s the word from…

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