Browsed by
Tag: Tumwater

If Trees Could Talk: Famous Trees around Washington

If Trees Could Talk: Famous Trees around Washington

We have many historically significant trees in Washington, and many State Archives records document the people and events related to the state’s most historic trees. Although State Archives collections mainly consist of state and local government records, many archival collections also contain photographs. Archivist Jewell Dunn recently turned up one of the last photos of the Medicine Creek tree after it was topped by an arborist to be preserved. The plaque seen in the Medicine Creek tree photo at right…

Read More Read More

State Library closed Aug. 30 for training

State Library closed Aug. 30 for training

The Washington State Library will be closed Aug. 30 for staff training. No appointments, online chat service or telephone assistance will be available that day. The State Library will resume normal operations on Aug. 31. The State Library’s Reading Room is open by appointment Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Its front lobby, which includes two computers available for public use, also is open during this time. The library is located at 6880 Capitol Blvd. SE in…

Read More Read More

Scenes from State Library’s Eclipse Event

Scenes from State Library’s Eclipse Event

For those who couldn’t make the trip (or chose not to go due to the expected large crowds and brutal traffic) south to Oregon and watch this morning’s solar eclipse in its totality, there were many eclipse events held in different Washington communities. The Eclipse Event at the Washington State Library in Tumwater proved to be one of the most popular, as an estimated 500 people gathered on the south side of the library building to view an astronomical event…

Read More Read More

Vote for your fave Archives Treasure!

Vote for your fave Archives Treasure!

It’s time for March Madness, State Archives style. Over the past few days, we’ve featured three items or collections in our monthly Archives Treasures series. Now it’s time for you choose your fave. The three contestants are an 1857 map of the western half of Washington Territory, 1990 photos of a group of female state representatives known as the “Steel Magnolias,” and the 1859-1860 ledger of the Crosby Store in Tumwater. The online poll is open below. You have until…

Read More Read More

Archives Treasure #3: Crosby Store ledger, 1859-1860

Archives Treasure #3: Crosby Store ledger, 1859-1860

(Image courtesy of Washington State Archives) Business practices have changed just a little since 1860, and that’s what makes this handwritten ledger in the State Archives such a treasure. The book details the day-to-day transactions of the Crosby Store in Tumwater. The store was located on Reserve Street (now Deschutes Way). It was a general-merchandise emporium and important Tumwater fixture, operated by a settler named Nathaniel Crosby III. Thurston County’s earliest settlers and businesses fill the pages of this ledger,…

Read More Read More

Profiles of Washington Territorial Librarians – Frederick S. Holmes, 1875-1877

Profiles of Washington Territorial Librarians – Frederick S. Holmes, 1875-1877

Frederick S. Holmes, 1875-1877 From the Desks of the Central Library Staff He was born May 8, 1849 in Chicago and spent his early years in Kenosha, Wis. Holmes arrived in Olympia Nov. 9, 1853 with his parents, Samuel and Mary. Only 25 years of age, he was the first Territorial Librarian to be appointed directly by the Governor. According to Maryan Reynolds in The Dynamics of Change, When Yantis vacated the position of librarian in 1875, members of the…

Read More Read More

From Your Corner: Tumwater’s name

From Your Corner: Tumwater’s name

The falls (above) of the Deschutes River at Tumwater Falls Park are a gorgeous attraction for visitors, but you may not know that they are also the site of the oldest American settlement in Puget Sound country.  Founded in 1846, the historical site is just one factor that makes Tumwater one of the best places to live in Thurston County. The city borders our state’s capital and was the home of the famous Olympia Brewing Company from 1896 to the…

Read More Read More

Goodbye and Good Luck, Melisa Gilbert!!!

Goodbye and Good Luck, Melisa Gilbert!!!

  It is with a sad and happy heart that I watch Melisa leave the Institutional Library Services team, but she has not gone far.  Melisa has accepted a new position with the reference staff at the Washington State Library in Tumwater.   Personally, I will miss her calm persona and wonderful attitude about serving the patrons in the prison libraries.  She is moving on to new experiences at the State Library where she will be an asset to the staff.  …

Read More Read More