Volume 12, November 17, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) UPCOMING PROQUEST TRAINING

2) WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE NAMED A BEST SITE

3) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE CONTEST

4) 2^ND ANNUAL HISTORICAL ZINE CONTEST

5) NEA BIG READ ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

From the desk of Evan Robb

COLUMBIA Magazine contributor Lionel Youst recently contacted us to identify a ca. 1901-1905 photo of a covered wagon (at right). The wagon is depicted aboard the Columbia River steamboat Charles R. Spencer. This badly-faded albumen print is from the Stevenson Community Library’s Skamania County Heritage digital collection (click image to see full record). Despite the photo’s poor condition, Youst spotted something about the wagon’s canvas cover—a large tear. It made him recall a detail from the reminiscences of his grandfather. Here’s what he told us:

“My grandparents, Frank and Alice Youst sold their homestead in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory and headed toward Centralia, Washington on August 22, 1903. [Their family of five] stopped and worked the horses at railroad construction and mining jobs on the way out. The canvas sheet [on the family’s wagon] was badly torn when it tipped over trying to go around a slide on the road over the Rocky Mountains. Dad said it was too hard to sew, and it remained torn all the way out to Centralia. I think what we see on the left side bottom of the sheet is a tear—bigger than I thought it would be, but that could be it.”

With a bit of assistance from his friend Shirley Bridgham, Youst was able to tease a bit more detail out of the faded photo—click on the image at left to see a full-sized version of the optimized photo.

In addition to the tear, other details about the photo line up with Youst’s grandfather’s recollections.

“The last leg of the journey was from Tonopah, Nevada where Grandad was hauling ore. They came up through Eastern Oregon to Prineville and Madras, and on to The Dalles where they took passage on a steamboat with the three horses, the wagon, and the family, down through the Cascade Locks to Vancouver. They arrived in in Centralia, Washington on June 26, 1904, after 308 days on the road, a family of five living out of that wagon. They certainly boarded the steamboat at The Dalles on or about June 20, 1904—give or take two or three days.”

While we don’t have an exact date for the original photo, we do know that this photo was very likely taken at Cascade Locks (across the Columbia River from Stevenson), between 1901 and 1905, and that the Charles R. Spencer was one of the two steamboats running The Dalles to Portland/Vancouver route at that time.

So is it his grandparents’ wagon?  According to Youst: “If it isn’t…it’s close enough!” For a detailed account of Youst’s family’s journey, see his upcoming article in COLUMBIA: The Magazine of Northwest History.

From the desk of Jeff Martin 

Army letters from an Officer’s Wife, written by: Frances M.A. Roe

Appleton And Company, New York and London

Publication date: October 1909

Note: In 1871, Lieutenant Colonel Fayette Washington Roe (1850-1916) was sent to Fort Lyon, Colorado Territory. His wife, Frances M.A. Roe, describes their experiences while stationed at the fort in this collection of letters.

“It is late, so this can be only a note to tell you that we arrived here safely, and will take the stage for Fort Lyon to-morrow morning at six o’clock. I am thankful enough that our stay is short at this terrible place, where one feels there is danger of being murdered any minute. Not one woman have I seen here, but there are men any number of dreadful-looking men each one armed with big pistols, and leather belts full of cartridges. But the houses we saw as we came from the station were worse even than the men. They looked, in the moonlight, like huge cakes of clay, where spooks and creepy things might be found. The hotel is much like the houses, and appears to have been made of dirt, and a few drygoods boxes. Even the low roof is of dirt. The whole place is horrible, and dismal beyond description, and just why anyone lives here I cannot understand.”

Excerpt by Frances M.A. Roe

Washington State Library Electronic State Publications – Army Letters From An Officers Wife, 1909

From the desk of Judy Pitchford

Do you like history? Do you enjoy creative projects? Well, do we have something for you!

Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Historical Zine Contest with co-sponsors Washington State Archives and Timberland Regional Library. Participants are asked to create a Zine about some aspect of Washington History.

Washington residents from 4th grade and up (yes, adults, too!) are asked to participate.

Don’t know how to make a zine? Visit our Zine webpage and watch a video that shows how.

All three sponsors have a multitude of resources that can provide fantastic material to use in the creations of participants.

• Washington State Library has many online resources that include books, maps, newspapers and photos. You can also find featured images from these digital collections on their Pinterest and Flickr pages. And don’t forget that you can visit the library to see some resources in person!
• Washington State Archives has an extensive print collection, as well as many images at the Digital Archives.
• And you can visit the Timberland Libraries to explore their NW Reference Collection, Zine Collection and Zine Resource Collection.

Entries will be accepted from September 1, 2016 – December 15, 2016. So start creating!

For many people when they think of Washington State the first thing that comes to mind is Mount Rainier. The tallest peak in the state, at 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier dominates the landscape on both the east and west side of the state and all Washingtonians feel that it is “their mountain.”

On March 2, 1899, Mount Rainier was established as the fifth national park, named so by William McKinley.  The park is a veritable year round wonderland for those who love the outdoors. Possibilities range from fishing, bike riding, hiking, camping, and climbing in the summer, to skiing, tubing and snowshoeing in the winter. For those who like to just sit and admire the scenery, Longmire and Paradise each has a beautiful old inn. Also within the park boundaries are 228,480 acres of wilderness.

But before Mount Rainier became a national park there was of course a long history to the area including Native American legend.  One of the missions of the State Library, that we take very seriously, is to preserve the history of our state. We have many books in our catalog but for this blog post the focus is on our Digital Collections.  In order to make our materials easily accessible, we’ve been working for many years to digitize public domain books and journals in our collection.

When it comes to Mount Rainier, one of the best historic resources is Edmond Meany’s “Mount Rainier: a record of exploration”. This book is a collection of essays about the mountain including its discovery by George Vancouver, the story of the first accent by Hazard Stevens, the natural history of the mountain and an essay on the creation of the park.

Another source for history is our digital newspapers collection.  In the early days of our state Mount Rainier was often called “Mt. Tacoma” or “Mt. Tahoma”, the Native American name. This fact is acknowledged in Meany’s book and born out in the controversy over the name of the new national park.
In the March 7^th Seattle Post Intelligencer an article titled “An insult to Tacoma” heatedly defends the name Rainier. “Some foolish people, including the Ledger, past and present, have tried to change the name of Rainier to Tacoma, but they have failed… If Mount Rainier is worthy of the distinction of a national park, the park should bear the name of the mountain.”

Over the years Mount Rainier remained newsworthy, with articles such as the May 12, 1916 Washington Standard’s “Mt. Rainier’s Flowers – Unequaled in Beauty, Number and Luxuriance, says Uncle Sam” .  In 1910 The Walla Walla Evening Statesman proposed regulating automobiles in the park, however by December 7, 1920 an article in the Seattle Star instead proposed new roads to increase access and travel to the park.

As a Federal Depository the State Library also holds electronic federal documents for the state.  A search of our catalog unearthed “WONDERLAND: An Administrative History of Mount Rainier National Park” by Theodore Catton. This book records the history of the park from the days before it’s designation as a national park  through the end of the 20th century.

Having a national park in Washington also generated a lot of tourist interest and tourist dollars.  The early newspapers show evidence of efforts to take advantage of this.  You find advertisements for tours and postcards, even gasoline to get you there.  Today Mount Rainier continues to be a centerpiece of our state with an average of 1-2 million people visiting each year.  Have you visited lately?

Image sources:

“Gorgeous Mt. Rainier.” Pullman Herald 10 June 1921. Web. 14 July 2016.

Skiing at Mount Rainier National Park

Liberty Mountain, North Cascades National Park. Photo by Jim Culp. Used by permission.

Selected Resources

National Park Service

2016 marks the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service. “That’s 100 years of protecting America’s natural, historical and cultural treasures from all over the United States. These more than 400 beautiful, historic and exquisite sites cover over 80 million acres consisting of approximately 18,000 miles of trails, more than 75,000 archaeological sites and at least 247 species of threatened or endangered plants and animals.” (Text from http://bit.ly/2allmnJ.)

Interior Department National Park System. National Park System (Wall Map Poster). Interior Department National Park System, Print.

A beautiful wall map of the National Parks is available from the Government Printing Office Bookstore, https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/024-005-01274-5?ctid=507. “Handsome color map showing the locations of parks in National Park System; suitable for large wall map displays … the map shows all 392 authorized units of the park system. It measures 39 by 29 inches and is of display quality.

Washington State

“National Historic Landmarks Survey / Washington.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. Available online: <https://www.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/wa/WA.pdf.>

“National Parks Road Trip: Pacific Northwest.” National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016.  Available online: <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/united-states/washington-national-parks/>.

Covers North Cascades, Mount Ranier and Olympic national parks.

Working with Washington by the Numbers National Park Service

“NHLs in National Parks | National Historic Landmarks Program.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/nhl/find/nhlsinparks.htm#WA>.
“Northwest · National Parks Conservation Association.” National Parks Conservation Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <https://www.npca.org/regions/northwest>.

“Working with Washington by the numbers.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2016. <http://bit.ly/2a4PHoO>.

How many national parks are there in Washington State?

National Trails?

National Register of Historic Places?

National Historic Landmarks?

National Natural Landmarks?

World Heritage Sites?

“Want to Browse Some National Park Maps? There’s a Site For That | Smart News.” Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <http://bit.ly/2a4SS0o>. 

Check National Park Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2016, http://npmaps.com/. Free maps of national parks. Check by state.

“Washington: National Register of Historic Places listings in the state of Washington.” Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalregister/albums/72157620544261128>.

“Washington (U.S. National Park Service).” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/state/wa/index.htm>.  Find a list of National Park Service designations, a description and a photo.

National Park Service brochures. Listed in the Washington State Library catalog.

Publications

Braille Books: The National Park Service publishes a series of visitor information brochures in Braille for most of the NPS designated areas in the United States. They are included in this resource list with the designation Print (Braille).

Ebey’s Landing

Ebey’s Landing. Photo by James Marvin Phelps.

Evans-Hatch, Gail E. H. Evans-Hatch, D. Michael. Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve: Historic Resources Study. Washington: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, 2005. Print. Available at WSL: I 29.58/3:W 57.

Polenz, Michael. Slaughter, Stephen L. Dragovich, Joe D. Thorsen, Gerald W. Geologic Map of the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Island County, Washington. Olympia N.p., Washington State Dept. Print. Available at WSL: 2 copies, one in library use only WA 33.7 G291ope 2005-2 2005 c.1 ; available for circulation  WA 333.7G291ope 2005-2 2005 c.2.

United States. National Park Service. Ebey’s Landing: Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Washington. Washington: National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 2008. Print (map). Available at WSL: I 29.2:EB 3/2.

United States. National Park Service, author. Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Washington. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2015. Print (Braille). Available at WSL: I 29.155:EB 3.

Gilbert, Cathy. Reading the Cultural Landscape: Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. Seattle: National Park Service, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, Cultural Resource Division, 1985. Print. Online at: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS115589.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Officers Row, Vancouver, WA

Fort Vancouver

Hussey, John A. Fort Vancouver National Historic Site/washington. Denver: Denver Service Center, National Park Service, 1972-1976. Print. Available at WSL: I 29.2:F77.

United States. National Park Service, author. Fort Vancouver: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2013. Print (Braille).
Available at WSL! I 29.2:F 77 v/2/ v.1, I 29.2:F 77 v/2/ v.2.

Tip: check our catalog for author John A. Hussey to find other studies he did of Fort Vancouver.

Lake Chelan

Northwest Interpretive Association. North Cascades National Park Service Complex (Agency : U.S.). Imus Creek Nature Trail, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Seattle: The Assn., 1998. Print. WSL Northwest Collection NW 917.975 IMUS 1998?

Tip: See also North Cascades National Park.

“Welcome to Stehekin.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/noca/upload/Stehekin-Map-2010.pdf>.

Lake Roosevelt

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Washington. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 2005. Print (map). Available at WSL: I 29.39:R 67.

 Mount Rainier

“An icon on the horizon.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm>.

Mount Rainier National Park: Washington. Washington, D.C.: The Service, 1973. Print (Maps). Available at WSL: Historic Research R 912.7977 United 1973.

 “Publications – Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service).” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/publications.htm>.

Tahoma News
The Mount Rainier National Park “Tahoma News” is printed each winter, spring, summer and fall. Look inside for descriptions of seasonal activities, current events and facility hours … read the most recent edition on-line or receive a printed copy when you arrive at the entrance gate to the park.

United States. National Park Service, author. Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! Call No. I 29.155:M 86 R/2.

North Cascades National Park (and surounding areas)

Johannessen, Tracie B, Wendy Scherrer, Saul Weisberg, and Nikki McClure. North Cascades National Park: A Living Classroom : a Guide to Field Trips and Activities in Ross Lake National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park. Sedro-Wooley: North Cascades Institute, 1996. Print. Available at WSL: NW OVERSIZ 917.9773 JOHANNE 19.

“North Cascades are calling.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/noca/index.htm>.

“North Cascades National Park Complex.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016. Available online at <https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/upload/NOCAmap1.pdf>.

“North Cascades National Park Complex Stephen Mather Wilderness.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/upload/Wilderness-Trip-Planner-2016-05-06_01-for-web.pdf>.

 North Cascades National Park Service Complex. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2016. <https://www.facebook.com/NorthCascadesNationalPark/>.

Popular Trails: Featuring Trails in North Cascades National Park & Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Seattle: Northwest Interpretive Assn., 2000. Print. Available at WSL: NW 917.975 POPULAR 200-?.

“Surrounding region.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016. Available online at: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/upload/NOCAmap2.pdf.

“State route 20 detail map.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016. https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/upload/SR-20-Detail.pdf.

Rain Forest Greenery along the shores of the Quinalt River. Photograph by Alan posted to Flickr. Used by copyright permission.

Olympic Mountains

 “Olympic National Forest – Maps & Publications.” US Forest Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016.

Olympic National Park, Washington. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1939- . Print (Maps). Available at WSL: I 29.6OI 9/3 1939-2003 some issues missing.

“Olympic National Park Guide.” Sunset. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016. <http://www.sunset.com/travel/northwest/olympic-national-park-washington>.

United States. National Park Service, author. Olympic: Olympic National Park, Washington. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2015. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! Call No. I 29.155:OL 9.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area

“Ross Lake National Recreation Area.” NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/upload/rosslake_6-08.pdf>.

Tip: See also North Cascades National Park

Crook House historic structures. English Camp, San Juan Island National Historical Park, San Juan Island, Washington

San Juan Island

Erigero, Patricia, and Barry Schnoll. Crook House Historic Structures Report: English Camp, San Juan Island National Historical Park, San Juan Island, Washington. Seattle: Cultural Resources Division, Pacific Northwest Region, National Park Service, 1984. Web.  Available at WSL:  I 29.88:C 88. Available online through the Library’s Washington Rural Heritage project: bit.ly/29X2ZEs

United States. National Park Service, author. San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2014. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! Call No. I 29.155:SA 5 J/2.

Whitman Mission

United States. National Park Service, author. Whitman Mission National Historic Site, Washington. National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 2014. Print (Braille). Available at WSL: I 29.155:W 59.

United States. National Park Service. Whitman Mission, Sitio Histórico Nacional, Washington.  N.p.,  Print. Available at WSL:
I 29.6/6:W 59/SPAN.

Site of the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. Photograph by Glenn Scofield Williams as found on Flickr. Used by copyright permission.

Washington and Other States

Klondike Gold Rush

United States. National Park Service. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Seattle, Washington. Washington: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1981. Print (map). Available at WSL: I 29.6:K 69/W 27.

United States. National Park Service, author. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Skagway, Alaska. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2014. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! I 29.155:K 69

United States. National Park Service, author. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Skagway, Alaska. N.p., 2014. Print (Braille). Available at WSL: I 29.155.G29.

Lewis and Clark

United States. National Park Service, author. Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, Oregon / washington. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2014. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! I 29.155:L 58

Mcloughlin House Fort Vancouver

United States. National Park Service, author. Mcloughlin House Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Oregon/washington. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2013. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! Call No. I 29.155:M 22

Manhatten Project National Historical Park (Oak Ridge, TN, Los Alamos, NM, and Hanford, WA)

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation, author. H.r. 1208, to Establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tn, Los Alamos, Nm, and Hanford, Wa: Legislative Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation of the Committee on Natural Resources, U.s. House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, Friday, April 12, 2013. N.p., 2014. Web. Available at WSL: WSL Annex (Call ahead) Y 4.R 31/3:113-10, MICRO Y 4.R 31/3:113-10 ; Available online at <http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo47105> <http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo47106>.

Manzanar

United States. National Park Service, author. Manzanar, Manzanar National Historic Site, California. National Park Service US Department of this Interior, 2016. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! Call No. I 29.155:M 31/2

Minidoka

United States. National Park Service, author. Minidoka, Minidoka National Historic Site, Idaho/washington. National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, 2016. Print (Braille). Available at WSL! I 29.155:M 66/2

Nez Perce

United States. National Park Service. Visitor Guide: Nez Perce National Historical Park, Big Hole National Battlefield, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington.  Lapwai: Nez Perce National Historical Park, 2009.  Print.  Available at WSL: I 29.2:N 49/2 2009

Listen Up! North Olympic Library System. Oral histories from the Washington Northwest corner. Used by permission of the North Olympic Library System. Project supported by the Washington State Library Washington Rural Heritage Project using federal Library Services and Technology Act funds administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

 Oral History

Listen up! Stories from the Northwest corner. A series of oral histories collected by staff of the North Olympic Library System from residents of Clallam County sharing their stories about National Parks. There are 16 recorded interviews plus a compilation video.

From the desk of Jeff Martin

A Pioneer’s Search for an Ideal Home

Written by: Phoebe Goodell Judson

Union Printing, Binding and Stationary Co., Bellingham, Washington

Publication date: 1925

Phoebe Goodell Judson who crossed the Plains in 1853 and became a resident on Puget Sound before the organization of Washington Territory.

A Book of Personal Memoirs (Published in the author’s 95^th year)
CHAPTER I

It is the oft repeated inquiry of my friends as to what induced me to bury myself more than fifty years ago in this far-off corner of the world, that has determined me to take my pen in hand at this late day.

Did I come around the Horn, cross the Isthmus, or come across the plains? Was I not afraid of the Indians, and much more they ask. So I have decided to answer them all and singly by writing a short history of our pioneer life, and to affectionately dedicate my book to the memory of the late Holden A. Judson, my dear husband, who journeyed with me for half a century in the wilderness.

This will be but a condensed narrative of events which I shall endeavor to recall out of the mists of the past, written with no attempt at literary display, containing no fiction, but simply a record of the homely, everyday incidents of a plain woman, who has now exceeded her three score years and ten, and who has roughed it in the early fifties on the extreme northwestern frontier.

Time has passed so rapidly I can scarcely realize that I have already attained the number of years allotted to mortals on earth.

The romance of frontier life beyond the confines of civilization with its varied, exciting and interesting experiences among the children of nature both human and brute-has caused the years to fly swiftly, as on the wings of the wind.

Excerpt by Phoebe Goodell Judson

From the desk of Shawn Schollmeyer

The latest “news” on the newspaper collections is the merging of two existing collections into a new one called “Washington Digital Newspapers,” (WDN) which will give the public easier, full-text search access to these historic newspapers (move over, Google!). You can now browse titles, view by calendar date or pick a location from a map to search the issues here. The collection currently includes more than 45 titles and over 306,000 newspaper pages. Now it’s also mobile friendly so you can research with your smart phone or tablet device!

The website will also feature some more recent issues of the Eatonville Dispatch (1916-2010), our current digitization project due to be included this fall. Most of the newspapers will be pre-1923, which are considered “public domain” available for students and teachers to download for school research projects without worrying about requesting copyright permissions for use. We’ll be rolling in our earliest pioneer & territorial titles from the Historic Online Newspapers collection, which is currently indexed by subject and proper names, so it too will be full-text searchable over the next couple years.

A recent addition to the collection is the Tacoma Evening Telegraph (1886-1887). More additions by the end of this year include the Centralia Daily Hub (1914-1916), Spokane’s Danske Kronike (Danish/English, 1916-1917), and Dat Moi (Vietnamese/English, 1974-1987). Washington State Library staff will add at least 40,000 pages of new content by end of this year, content that hasn’t appeared in any of the library’s earlier digital collections or on Chronicling America. Just this month the Anacortes Museum signed on to help us digitize the Anacortes American in 2017!

The Washington State Library is a rich resource of information for students, genealogists, researchers and history enthusiasts as one of the best `go-to’ places to find Washington newspapers. We have the largest selection of Washington newspapers on microfilm and we’re excited to be a new associate member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers’ Association. This fall we will be meeting with newspaper publishers and editors to help ensure that our history and culture will be best preserved in  newspapers from print, microfilm and into the born-digital world of current news media!

From the desk of Jeff Martin

The State Archives and the State Library hold extensive map collections dealing with the Washington State and the surrounding region. This new blog post shows two more examples. The first map shows military stations occupied and abandoned as of January 1881; railroads existing and projected; wagon roads, and lighthouses. The map has been reduced in size for presentation.

The next map shows an emigrant wagon road to California in addition to selected features of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

As we enter, what will no doubt be, another intense fire season in Washington State, it is comforting to know that technology and modern methods are in place to spot and stop wildfires quickly.  But it also brings to mind a reflection on how fires were managed in the early 20^th century.  One answer was a chain of fire lookout stations, many built by the CCC in the 1930’s.  “Back in the 1930s the still-growing lookout system seemed like a stable part of the fire protection program of the forests of Washington. “ (Spring and Fish, pg. 11).  “They were placed, wherever possible, so at least two stations could overlap surveillance of the same territory and thus accurately pinpoint the location of a fire.” (pg. 14).  In 1953 the U.S. claimed 5,060 “permanent” fire lookouts (pg. 22) with 685 in Washington.

As keepers of our state’s history the Washington State Library has a variety of resources that help us remember this piece of our past.  One such resource is the wonderful Washington Rural Heritage collection.  This is an ever growing collection of images pulled from personal collections and small historic museums.  Part of the collection includes pictures of fire lookout towers from around the state as well as panoramic images taken from lookout towers.  Pulling images from the Rural Heritage collection and our digital photo collection we decided to create an interactive storymap to keep the history alive.

In addition to the historic images we have several books in our collections about fire lookouts.  So if you are interested in the history, the legends or the modern practicality of how to visit or even cook at a lookout station remember that much of our collection can be requested through ILL.

Doty, Thomas. Trek to Table Mountain: Seasons of Stories. Ashland, OR: Upriver Downriver Productions, 2003. Print.

Kresek, Ray. Fire Lookouts of the Northwest. Fairfield, Wash: Ye Galleon Press, 1998. Print.

Langston, Libby. Lookout Cookbook: A Collection of Recipes by Forest Fire Lookouts Throughout the United States. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: Museum of North Idaho, 2005. Print.

McFadden, Tish, and Tom Foley. How to Rent a Fire Lookout in the Pacific Northwest: A Guide to Renting Fire Lookouts, Guard Stations, Ranger Cabins, Warming Shelters and Bunkhouses in the National Forests of Oregon and Washington. Berkeley, CA: Wilderness Press, 2005. Internet resource.

Rideout, Ham. Fire Watch: A Summer to Be Remembered at the Steliko Point and Badger Mountain Lookouts : Memoirs of a Jr. Forest Guard and so Much More! Steilacoom Wash.: N.p., 2006. Print.

Luckily for Washington many lookout stations still exist. Today there are eighty-seven lookouts which remain standing. (Abegg) So, if you’re up for a hike or perhaps the chance to spend a night in a piece of history why not venture out and visit one yourself.

References
Abegg, Steff. “Fire Lookout Structures.” www.sTePhaBeGg.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2016.

Spring, Ira, and Byron Fish. Lookouts: Firewatchers of the Cascades and Olympics. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1981. Print.