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Tag: Washington State Constitution

Collage of photos of Frank Porter Hungate and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs with the original Washington State Constitution.
THE WASHINGTON STATE CONSTITUTION: A FAMILY’S LEGACY

THE WASHINGTON STATE CONSTITUTION: A FAMILY’S LEGACY

On March 2, 2022, Frank Porter Hungate, the 103-year-old grandson of 1889 Constitutional Convention delegate James Allen Hungate, visited Washington State Archives’ headquarters in Olympia to view the original 1889 Washington State Constitution. The original State Constitution is kept in a secure vault and — save for exclusive viewings and ceremonies (such as an anniversary of statehood or Constitution Days) — is not available for public viewing. Yet the opportunity for Frank to see his grandfather’s signature and further his…

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It’s Constitution Day!

It’s Constitution Day!

(Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives) We bet most of you didn’t even know it existed. After all, it doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as Independence Day. There aren’t any retail sales that capitalize on it. Since it occurs when fall is knocking on the door, it doesn’t entice us to eat outside. But Sept. 17 is a very important date in American history. It’s the date when the United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the…

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From the Archives: key letter leading to statehood

From the Archives: key letter leading to statehood

With Washington’s 125th birthday celebration as a state just a week away, our State Archives is bringing out key historical documents that led to that triumphant day in 1889 when WA reached statehood. What many people don’t know is that Washington could have become a state even sooner if not for a miscue. The state constitution sent to President Benjamin Harrison in the fall of 1889 lacked Territorial Governor Miles Moore’s signature. The constitution sent to Harrison only had the…

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Archives treasure #3: 1889 election proclamation

Archives treasure #3: 1889 election proclamation

With all of the debates, news stories, TV and radio ads, yard signs, campaign mailers, doorbelling brochures and everything else going on, we know there is an election coming soon. But how did word get out in 1889 that an election was near? Answer? A proclamation for the 1889 General Election, which played a pivotal role in Washington reaching statehood. The proclamation is our third Archives treasure for October. In December 1888, Congress introduced an act to “enable” Washington, North…

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Archives displaying state constitutions Sept. 19

Archives displaying state constitutions Sept. 19

We all know that July 4 is a VERY important date in American history since it’s our nation’s  birthday, and a great excuse for a summer barbecue and fireworks . But did you know that Sept. 17 also is a key date in history? On that date in 1787, the United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia after a long, hot summer spent proposing, debating, refining and finalizing what is our nation’s most…

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Archives treasure #3: State Supreme Court files, 1854-1998

Archives treasure #3: State Supreme Court files, 1854-1998

(The State Supreme Court in 1968.  Photo courtesy of the State Archives’ Susan Parish Collection.) As the repository for Washington’s governmental records and documents, the State Archives has files going waaay back. In the case of the Washington Supreme Court, all the way back to 1854, when we were just a fledgling territory after splitting from Oregon Territory. The State Archives has more than 4,100 cubic feet of records that document the opinions and decisions of every case decided by…

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Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation – The Final Chapter

Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation – The Final Chapter

In 1910, Emma Smith DeVoe and May Arkwright Hutton led campaigns in Washington supporting the women’s suffrage amendment.  The ballot measure to amend Article VI of the Washington Constitution was on the 1910 General Election ballot and was passed by majority of 22,623, a favorable vote of nearly 2 to 1.  Washington State joined the western states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Idaho, that had already enacted women’s suffrage.  Washington was the first state in the 20th century to pass…

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