September's Photo Challenge Answer
Contributed by Ben Helle, Olympia Branch Archivist
Many people correctly identified this bridge. State Rep. Sam Hunt, David Stewart, Gary Bortel, and Daniel Thompson (of *gasp* Oregon!) all recognized this bridge that spans the Duckabush River.
From the Historic American Engineering Record (
HAER): A concrete, through tied, ribbed arch was constructed on Highway 101 over the Duckabush River in 1934 by the West Coast Construction Company. The 168-foot bridge consists of a 110-foot concrete arch and two concrete girder spans. It is 24 feet wide, curb to curb. Check out the rest of the report
here.
Thanks again for playing, everyone!
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October Photo Challenge
Contributed by Ben Helle, Olympia Branch Archivist
In continued recognition of this year's
Archives Month theme, let's take a look at another bridge photo, this time under construction. This double-deck stringer bridge of reinforced concrete runs for approximately two miles. It is the first such bridge built in the state of Washington. The structure encompasses two different designs and crosses over highly complex subsurface conditions, supported throughout its length on pile foundations. Do you know where it is?
Click on the photo above for a larger version of the image, and
here if you really want a hint...we have a couple of other views for you to gaze at.
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October is Archives Month!
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Archives Month 2015:
Bridging Washington
This year we pay tribute to the historic bridges of Washington as documented in the collections of the Archives, special collections, and libraries during October's Washington Archives Month, 2015.
All of our regional branches will be celebrating by offering special events throughout the month. Click
here for a general schedule and to find an event near you! Or--click on the link to your local branch for more information:
Northwest,
Puget Sound,
Southwest,
Central,
Eastern
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October is also Archaeology Month!
The Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation is Washington State's primary agency with knowledge and expertise in historic preservation. They advocate for the preservation of Washington's irreplaceable historic and cultural resources--significant buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts--as assets for the future.
And in October, they celebrate the rich archaeological resources of WA State through a variety of tours and lectures.
Find out more here!
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"I met Quincy Jones in Seattle. We were kids together...liked each other when we met and have been close ever since. He wasn't writing when we met - in fact, I more or less started him off to write; voicing, harmony, and stuff like that."
Find out
here!
The
same person also said,
"I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great."
If you keep up on the OSOS Blog "
From Our Corner," you'll have a leg up on this one!
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Who cares for "orphaned" government records?
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Contributed by Russell Wood, State Records Manager and Molly Rooney, State Acquisitions Archivist
Did you know that when a state or local government agency closes down and there is no successor agency, its records come to the Washington State Archives?
"...all records of every agency, commission, committee, or any other activity of state government which may be abolished or discontinued, shall be transferred to the state archives to that the valuable historical records of the state may be centralized, made more widely available, and insured permanent preservation..." RCW 40.14.030(1)
Most of the records do not have any longer-term "archival" value, however, Washington State Archives ensures that the records are retained for at least their minimum retention period. After that time, those records with permanent enduring value for research are accessioned into our collections and the other records are destroyed.
Images here come from the State Energy Office. Some of the duties of this office were taken over by the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (now Dept. of Commerce). The records relating to functions that were not picked up by CTED were transferred to the Archives.
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Japanese history in Eastern Washington
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Wapato School District
Contributed by Patrick Williams, Imaging Services Manager
In the 1920s, an increasing number of Japanese immigrants came to Eastern Washington to cultivate the land and pursue the American Dream. That dream changed during WWII. Japanese families were
sent to internment camps while others enlisted to help fight against the Axis countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Eji Sujama was the class valedictorian at Wapato High School in 1937 and enlisted on December 1, 1941--6 days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the European theater with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team comprised entirely of Japanese Americans, receiving a silver star for his gallantry in action.
Eji was born in Seattle. His parents eventually moved from Sumner, where his dad worked as a laundryman and his mother, a barber, to
Wapato where they lived in the Japanese Buddhist community that is still active today.
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Planning a visit to the Washington State Archives
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A guide of what to expect
Contributed by Maggie Cogswell, Archivist for the Southwest and State Archives
So you want to do some research at the Washington State Archives? Great! We have a lot to share. But we also realize that a visit to us may seem completely overwhelming--maybe even uninviting. But this couldn't be further from the truth, and it's easy...when you know how!
In
this article you will find a step-by-step guide to using our online catalog, planning your visit, checking in at the Archives and conducting your research. What more could you ask for?
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Meet June Timmons, Chief Applications Architect for the Digital Archives
Contributed by Larry Cebula, Professor at EWU and Assistant Digital Archivist, Washington State Archives
June Timmons is the person at the Digital Archives who makes the final call, but she will be the first person to tell you that she is not some kind of super hero out there. She is the first one to recognize her amazing team of folks who work so hard behind the scenes to make sure that we provide access to as many records from the collections as we possibly can, while preserving them for the foreseeable future...and beyond!
Click
here to learn more about June, and find out what "glamping" is.
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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.
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Washington Remembers WWII project
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We hope you enjoyed this edition of "Out of the Archives!"
Banner Image: Covered bridge at Schafer farm, 1970, State Library Photograph Collection, 1851-1990, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives.
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