Join History Buff Volunteers

Would you like to bend time and travel to pioneer days in Washington territory? Volunteers at the Washington State Library find themselves re-living the lives of settlers through the pages of historical newspapers published from 1852 to 1889. If you enjoy Washington State history, you may want to work a few hours a week reading articles electronically and entering keywords, titles, and subjects into a searchable database. Library users can then access the newspapers online.

What kind of stories might you read? Almost every town's newspaper described the glorious opportunities available to any who had the gumption to immigrate to their promising location. The drama of life and death, in the form of births, deaths, marriages and divorces were regularly printed. Politics, both blatant and concealed, motivated many of the early editors and publishers to promote a particular party's platform or candidate. And don't forget those important social occasions: balls, holiday parades, birthday parties, picnics, church teas, and year-end school promotions/graduations. Descriptions of military encampments, Native American treaties and reservations, and pioneer land claims paint a picture of changing demographics. National events were excerpted from other papers when available. The Historical Newspapers Online project gives researchers, students, teachers, and genealogists free access to historical information via computer, 24 hours a day. Specialized searches include: Personal Names Search access to births, deaths, marriages, divorces or general search Moments in History links to newspaper articles about pivotal events in Washington State history Advanced Search limit by newspaper title, article type, year, or keywords For further information about volunteering, please contact: Beth Bowden - Historical Newspapers Online Coordinator- 360.570.5570
(html)

Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs

이미지
Image of Secretary of State Steve Hobbs

Connect with Us

Search Our Corner

About this Blog

The Washington Office of the Secretary of State’s blog provides from-the-source information about important state news and public services.

This space acts as a bridge between the public and Secretary Steve Hobbs and his staff, and we invite you to contribute often to the conversation here.

Comments Disclaimer

The comments and opinions expressed by users of this blog are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Secretary of State’s Office or its employees. The agency screens all comments in accordance with the Secretary of State’s blog use policy, and only those that comply with that policy will be approved and posted. Outside comments will not be edited by the agency.