Washington Becomes a State

133 years ago on Nov. 18, 1889, hundreds gathered at the portico of the Capitol in Olympia to celebrate Washington’s newly acquired statehood and to view the inauguration of the state’s first governor, Elisha P. Ferry.

More than 3,000 Washingtonians celebrated their new statehood that day, marching in parades and celebrating by “shooting off Roman candles” in the capital city.

One week earlier, President Benjamin Harrison signed the bill admitting Washington to the United States.

Photo and Article courtesy of the Washington State Archives Newsletter Out of the Archives.

Free webinar: “Stump the Archivist”

Free webinar: “Stump the Archivist”
Washington State Archives will present another iteration of “Stump the Archivist,” a Q&A webinar for researchers of all experience levels, on March 18 at 10 a.m.
Bring your questions and a notebook, and chat with Research Archivist Tracy Rebstock! Learn how to use state and local government records in your historical research or family history.
New records are added to our collections all the time. Updates to vital records means more access to birth, death, marriage, and divorce collections. As promised during last month’s webinar, Rebstock will talk briefly about land records and then take your questions so you can dig deeper into your research.
Register here. It is free to attend this event.
Visit our YouTube channel to view past webinars.