August is National Dog Month, and we'll take any opportunity to showcase our faithful friends. Pictured here is a loyal companion to one of Washington's state governors. To which governor did this four-legged fetcher belong? Extra points if you can tell us the dog's name!

Many of you correctly guessed that this is the Hood Canal Floating Bridge. The original bridge was built in 1961 and stood until Feb. 13, 1979, when it suffered catastrophic failure during a windstorm. The storm had raged for hours, with southwestern gusts that reached over 80 mph. These winds perfectly aligned with the Hood Canal, turning it into a wind tunnel that destroyed and sank the west end of the bridge.

After the destroyed portion had been rebuilt, the bridge reopened to traffic in 1982. As a precaution, the bridge closes to traffic whenever winds reach 40 mph for 15 minutes or more.

Over 60 History Day students from Washington state competed at the 2022 National History Day Contest, hosted virtually June 12-18. The State Archives is a longtime supporter of Washington History Day providing educational resources and research assistance to participating students and educators. Over the past school year, these students created historical research projects on topics of their choosing, based on the theme of Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.

Click here to view Team Washington's accolades, which include two gold medals, two silver medals, two special awards, one scholarship, and two teacher awards.

Washington State Archives recently posted TransiTalk on the Digital Archives. TransiTalk was a monthly publication for employees of the Seattle Transit System from 1940 to 1948.

Joshua Schaier, an intern at our Puget Sound Branch, worked on this collection. He notes the publications' importance as "an eye-opening look at the daily life of essential workers on the home front during World War II . . . It features insights on how women contributed to the war effort, how ordinary citizens coped with the pressures the war brought, and how Seattle was affected by the looming threat of Japanese attacks."

You can browse these publications here.

All Washington State Archives branches are open to the public.

Appointments are highly recommended. Contact a certain branch for COVID protocols as they may vary.

Go here for more information, including how to contact each branch to set up an appointment.