From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: When the following Walla Walla story appeared in the Washington Statesman August 23, 1862, the town was newly incorporated and, with a population inching toward 1000, the largest city in Washington Territory. If there was ever any doubt that Washington was part of the Old West, this article will put that to rest.
From the desk of Steve Willis, Former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Stories about con artists were a regular feature of early Washington newspapers. Some, like this article from the August 22, 1902 issue of The Lind Leader, are more amusing than others: J.A. FALLGATTER HAS SKIPPED OUT. Proved to be a Grafter from Graftersville.-- He Left Debts Galore.
Although this article was found at random in the January 23, 1914 issue of The Mason County Journal, the story actually concerns a man from Spokane, and one of the great unsolved missing persons cases in Washington State history. The subject in question had a perfect name for a Pacific Northwest character-- F.
From the desk of Steve Willis, former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: After the voters of Washington State had approved a state-wide prohibition of alcohol in 1914, the clock started ticking for drinkers. The last legal drinks could be consumed on December 31, 1915.
From the desk of Steve Willis, Former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: The dry humor of this reporter is fun to read in the January 18, 1895 issue of The Wilbur Register. The random article found this week relates a drama that took place in northwest Lincoln County:
From the desk of Steve Willis, Former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: My father was a master storyteller who had a saying, "Never let the facts get in the way of a good yarn." I think some reporters must have that motto as well, or at least they did in 1890. The following article was found at random in the Columbia Chronicle, September 20, 1890.
From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: The random news for this installment was discovered in The Daily Hub (Centralia, Wash.), February 26, 1916.
