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Tag: Yakima

Unity Through Disaster: Yakima’s Cleanup after the Eruption of Mount St. Helens

Unity Through Disaster: Yakima’s Cleanup after the Eruption of Mount St. Helens

May 18, 1980, a day many Pacific Northwesterners vividly remember, was the infamous day Mount St. Helens erupted and left much of the state in complete darkness. This day was coined “Black Sunday,” and during the following week, nearly 200,000,000 cubic yards of soot and ash were dumped across Washington and covered nearly half the state.[1] The City of Yakima was in the direct path of the ash plume. To make matters worse, the volcano would continue to emit ash…

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WTBBL kicks off summer programs

WTBBL kicks off summer programs

Last month, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library’s Youth Services Librarian Erin Groth took a trip to Bellevue for a very special presentation at Cherry Crest Elementary. Around 100 second graders and their teachers enjoyed learning about braille, tactile illustrations, and the library. Not only did everyone get to explore some of our materials — and marvel at the four (!) volumes of braille which make up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — but they also got to learn…

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1950 highway map
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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Zillah’s Choice, Whisky or a Library?

Zillah’s Choice, Whisky or a Library?

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: When the Washington Irrigation Company attempted to perform a little social engineering in the community of Zillah in an effort to close the saloon, the cause of alcohol found an unlikely champion. The story is told in the Feb. 20, 1903 issue of the Yakima Republic: IS A DEFENDER OF BOOZE  A Zillah Minister Who Stands Up For Good Whisky, But Not For Bad “A…

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From Your Corner: Yakima’s name

From Your Corner: Yakima’s name

(Photo courtesy of Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce) Nestled in the heart of the Yakima Valley is the city of Yakima.  With a population of 91,067, it’s the eighth largest city in the state. The name Yakima comes from the Native American tribe of the region.  Several divergent theories exist on the exact meaning of the word and the story behind its origin. The most widely accepted meaning of the word is “runaway,” which is believed to refer to the waters…

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Rejuvenation in the Yakima Valley

Rejuvenation in the Yakima Valley

From the desk of Carolyn Petersen, Assistant Program Manager, Library Development. Recently I had occasion to visit the newly remodeled downtown branch of Yakima Valley libraries.  To quote Fats Waller “The joint is jumpin’”.  Folks were streaming in and out of their newly repainted, updated and light filled central library on a Thursday noon hour, not necessarily a prime patron time. Attached is a view of their renovated Young Adult area.  If you are in the area, stop by.  You will be…

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An Odd Story About the Odds

An Odd Story About the Odds

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: An Odd Story About the Odds From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: This tale of coincidence caught my eye as I was perusing through the Yakima Herald. It can be found on page 3 of the May 30, 1889 issue, less than six months before Washington became a state: The Strange Story of Dick See “The story of the arrest of Richard See,…

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From Your Corner of Washington: Yakima Canyon

From Your Corner of Washington: Yakima Canyon

Photograph courtesy of Danielle Munzing This amazing photograph of the Yakima Canyon and starlit November sky was taken just last Friday. Have you traveled anywhere recently around our beautiful state and taken any pictures?  If so, we invite you to e-mail your photos!  We need them to continue our ongoing feature called “From Your Corner of Washington” – we want to gather images of landscapes, homes, views and personal narratives from all over the state. Q) How do I submit a…

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State Library Contributes 23 Newspaper Titles to Chronicling America

State Library Contributes 23 Newspaper Titles to Chronicling America

The Washington State Library recently contributed another 23,000 historic newspaper pages from seven newspapers to Chronicling America, making Washington State’s contribution to the program a total of 23 titles and over 115,000 pages. Read and research issues from these and other newspapers around the U.S. for free at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.  There are now 23 newspapers from Washington State currently included in Chronicling America:   Cayton’s Monthly, 1921 Cayton’s Weekly, 1917-1921 Colfax Gazette, 1900-1912   Colville Examiner, 1907-1922 Commonwealth (Everett), 1911-1914 Co-operative News, 1917-1921 Daily Republican (Seattle),…

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Washington Adds 50,000 Newspaper Pages to Chronicling America

Washington Adds 50,000 Newspaper Pages to Chronicling America

The Washington State Library recently contributed another 50,000 historic newspaper pages from nine newspapers to Chronicling America, making Washington State’s contribution to the program a total of 16 titles and 92,000 pages. People can read and research issues from these and other newspapers around the U.S. for free at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. There are now 16 newspapers from Washington State currently included in Chronicling America: Cayton’s Weekly, 1917-1921 Colfax Gazette, 1900-1912 Colville Examiner, 1907-1922 Commonwealth (Everett), 1911-1914 Daily Republican (Seattle), 1896 Leavenworth…

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