Has the Photo Challenge ever been a drawing?
Technically this is a "drawing challenge," unless this is a photo of a drawing, which is possible. We scanned in a drawing or a photo — either way, it's the subject of this month's game!

Signs have been edited out to keep from giving the answer away. I'll drop a hint with a little history though: This hotel was founded by an African-American barber from New York.

Can you get this one without doing a web search?
April challenge brought impressive results
I am amazed some readers could identify Pinnacle Peak by just the sliver shown in this photo.

I'm as impressed, or more, by the readers who spotted Paradise Inn at the base of Mt. Rainier to gauge the direction and distance of the climber and accurately determined this must be a peak in the Tatoosh Range. Those of you who guessed Unicorn Peak — which is next to Pinnacle Peak in the Tatoosh Range — still get a half-point and a pat on the back. Well done, everybody!
Cracking the Archives
Have you ever run into a wall when searching for a person's document that you know is out there, but you just cannot find it?

Try spelling the name wrong.

Much can be missed by not searching name variations, as well as searching for siblings, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members. Some people get caught up on the... keep reading
H istory Mystery: can you identify these photographs?
We need help with identifying these photographs from the Department of Natural Resources. This is different from the Photo Challenge — we don't know the answers. See the descriptions below each photo and send us an e-mail if you can help us identify them. We know they were each taken between 1953 and 1958. Click each photo to view a larger version.
That's Mt. Baker in the background. An apparent fire lookout station stands at the upper right.
This picture may have been taken in front of a forestry building, but we need help identifying the people.
This may be near Sun Lakes or Grand Coulee. It was taken in 1958.
History Happy Hour will be on May 17
Thurston County Through the Decades on May 19
Maps, Land, and Transportation Workshops
History Happy Hour is right around the corner! The Archives presents this event in partnership with the Washington State Historical Society. The theme will be Washington's transportation history.

The event will be on Thursday, May 17, at 7 p.m. at 3 Magnets Brewery in downtown Olympia.

Admission is free (food and drink are sold by the restaurant) so come enjoy some great trivia and even better beer!
Join us at the Thurston County Fairgrounds and take a glimpse into the history of Thurston County.

"Thurston County Through the Decades" is a semi-annual, family event with activities, music, food, live animals, and learning.

The theme this time is 1950-1975, so feel free to wear a period costume from the era!

Don't worry about the weather. The event is all indoors! Admission is free for all ages.
The Olympia Archives Building hosted another great free event, Saturday, May 5.
Dr. Jewell Lorenz Dunn, Charles Hilton, and guest speaker Michael "Tug" Buse presented fascinating workshops, educating the public about the holdings of the State Archives and how they can help in a broad array of research. Here are the relevant links from the maps and georeferencing workshops.

Keep reading the newsletter to find out about future events!