May 2016
April Photo Challenge Answer
Contributed by Mary Hammer, Digital Projects Archivist
 
Many of you remembered the event of April's photo challenge, and had interesting memories to share! The gentleman in question is Arlo Guthrie, and the photograph was taken just before he sang "Roll on Columbia, Roll on" (written by his father, Woody) at an event at the Capitol on April 24, 1985 to introduce the song as a contender for state folk song.

Several people wrote in with their own memories of this event: David Elliott was singing along behind Arlo, Steve Shipe recalled an earlier, related event, Ralph Munro summarized the historical events leading to Guthries' performance, and Barney "jazzbones" McClure gave a remarkable account of how this event played into a larger issue: funding for the Arts Commission. Click here to read their stories! 
 
Thanks for playing and sharing your remembrances! It's time for a new challenge... 
May Photo Challenge
Contributed by Benjamin Helle,
Olympia Branch Archivist

In honor of Preservation Month, we bring you a photograph of the bottling line in the Olympia Brewery in Tumwater.

Your challenge? What was the nickname of the Olympia Brewing Company's signature 11 ounce bottle introduced in 1935?


Email your guess here, and watch for the answer coming in June!

May is Preservation Month!

Preservation Month recognizes the historic places that matter to communities all over the country. This year, the theme is "This Place Matters." Cities across Washington will be offering events and workshops centered around historic buildings and places (some include happy hours!), so click on the links below to find more about what's happening near you: 

This Month in History...
                       Ashfall! 
 
May marks an event that is oft remembered in the Pacific Northwest: the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Hours after the blast, ominous clouds filled with small, jagged pieces of rock, mineral, and volcanic glass made their way eastward, raining gritty ashfall and plunging communities into darkness.

Lee Pierce, Archivist at our Eastern Regional Branch, submitted some excellent ashy photographs from the Archives of this aftermath. Click here to take a look, and find out more about ashfall's effect on the eastern part of the state. 

What's Missing in this Map of Spokane?
Contributed by Allie Honican, Graduate Intern

In the vein of historic places that matter, this beautiful 1922 map of Spokane provides a wealth of information about the city in the early years of the 20th century. All of the typical information is provided including street names and the general city layout, but what makes this map special is the inclusion of so many additional points of interest. Fire stations, schools, and parks are noted throughout the city. So are bridges, railroad lines, streetcar lines, paved streets, sewers, and addition names.

Okay, Spokanites, when you click on the map to enlarge it, do you notice something's missing? The city has changed greatly over the past 93 years. In place of the ubiquitous I-90, which now slices the city in half, was Highway 2. This "Sunset Highway" offered a more leisurely route from Seattle to the Idaho State Line. Another highly traveled road, Maple Street, had yet to connect across the river. Those thin red lines running through the streets denoted where the trolley lines ran, it is interesting to note Spokane's extensive public transportation system in 1922. There are still a few places in Spokane where short stretches of metal trolley track peek through the concrete.

Newly Searchable Collections at the Digital Archives
Impeachment of Insurance Commissioner John H. Schively, 1909
Contributed by Mary Hammer, Digital Projects Archivist

With impeachment in the news lately, Archives has received inquiries regarding this subject in Washington State. We're reminded of the seldom heard story of Washington's first impeachment trial in 1909, against Insurance Commissioner John H. Schively.

Why did a citizen write to Governor Hay that "This state is in disgrace in the insurance world on account of the rotten administration of affairs at Olympia"? Find out and browse original documents from the trial!
 

Kittitas County School Teacher Certificate Registers, 1886-1955
Contributed by Larry Cebula, Professor of History, EWU and Assistant Digital Archivist

Kittitas County school teacher registers are digitized, online, and searchable! These records are a rich source of social history, and show a teaching profession that is largely female and highly educated. For example, in 1923, Dorie Ball of Cle Elum held degrees in Chemistry and Botany from Washington State College (later WSU), along with a minor in Physics. Interestingly, the register shows that after the Second World War larger numbers of men began to enter the profession.

Over 2,700 teachers' certificates issued by Educational Service District 105 in Kittitas County from the 1890s to 1955 are included in this collection. Information includes kind of certificate, date registered, teacher's name, post office address, date certificate issued, expiration date, institution certificate received from, and renewals and remarks. This is a great resource for genealogists, historians, and anyone interested in the history of education, and it can be
searched here.  
Employee Spotlight
Meet Jack Collins, Lead Application Developer at the Digital Archives
Contributed by Terry Badger, Deputy State Archivist    

Jack Collins joined the
Archives in 2014 as a Lead Application Developer.  Since joining the Archives, he has worked on several of our applications including our catalog, Arcat, and the E-Publications portal.   

This Kentuckian enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his 6 kids, who keep him busy building robots! Find out more about Jack, including which actor could play him in a Hollywood movie.

News from the OSOS blog
The Office of the Secretary of State routinely updates a blog entitled "From Our Corner,"  in order to provide from-the-source information about important state news and public services.  Often, stories of note from the Archives are included on this page. Click here to check out past stories.
Legacy Washington: Who Are We?
Washington is a kaleidoscope of more than 7 million people-each with a unique story to tell. Where do we originate and who do we become? In our in-depth profiles and upcoming exhibit, meet a diverse cast of standouts influencing our communities. Read the inspiring profiles here.


We hope you enjoyed this edition of "Out of the Archives!"


Banner Image: Rhododendrons in the forest, 1931, by Asahel Curtis, Conservation Department, Planning and Development Division, Lantern Slide Shows, Washington State Archives.    

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Washington State Archives
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