The Washington Rural Heritage project provides access to images and documents that capture the culture, industry, and community life of Washington State. The collection is an ongoing project of small, rural libraries and partnering cultural institutions, guided by an initiative of the Washington State Library. Here are several photos from the collection:
Lorin Catudio
Redmond Library Board, Emeritus
Extra special congratulations to our neighbor, the Pierce County Library System, for their receipt of a 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Pierce County Library is the first library in the State of Washington to earn this award.
The National Medal for Museum and Library Service honors outstanding institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Selected institutions demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach. The National Medal is the highest honor for museums and libraries.
In a White House Ceremony on May 8, First Lady Michelle Obama (as always, looking fabulous) joined Director Susan Hildreth and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to honor ten institutions from across the country. In addition to Pierce County Library leaders, a member of the community participated in the ceremony to highlight how the library affected their life.
See video of the ceremony, read the press release, or find more information at the Pierce County Library System website.
Hooray for libraries in Washington state!
While doing my spring cleaning, I came across a thin book that I’d forgotten about. I quickly read the book and was fascinated by the first-hand account of the Klondike Gold Rush. The book, The Immigrant in 1887, is the autobiography of Swedish immigrant John W. Nordstrom, the founder of the Nordstrom retail empire. In 1887, Nordstrom, only 16 years of age, left his family’s farm in Sweden and headed to America to find his fortune. Arriving in America with $5 to his name, he worked his way across the country taking jobs on railways and in mines, lumber camps and shipyards, eventually arriving in Seattle, Washington in 1896.
Klondike Gold Rush
The news of gold in the Klondike triggered a stampede of would-be prospectors to the gold creeks. Some 100,000 people attempted to find their fortunes — few did. 
The steamship company was selling first- and second-class tickets on this boat. A reporter from the Post-Intelligencer boarded the ship not long before it was to sail and inquired what the difference was between first- and second-class passage. He was told that as far as anyone could see, the only difference was that the first-class passengers slept with the horses and the second-class passengers slept with the mules. Since we had second-class passage, we slept with the mules.
Once in the Alaskan town of Skagway, prospectors faced the arduous challenge of bringing all their supplies up White Pass and down the Yukon River to the gold fields, a trip of about 500 miles over forbidding terrain.
To learn more, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Site in downtown Seattle. Several exhibits highlight the gold rush era, and admission is free.
Modern Day Prospecting 
These libraries are a legacy of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist. 
In 1901, he sold his Carnegie Steel Company and retired. However, he decided to use his wealth for the public good. He donated about $350 million to several causes, including the endowment of over 2,500 libraries worldwide. Of these libraries, 44 were funded and built in Washington State between 1901 and 1916.
Nearly all of Carnegie's libraries were built according to "The Carnegie Formula", which required applicants to:
Carnegie Libraries in Washington
The first Carnegie library grants were approved for several Seattle area libraries. A $430,000 grant was given for the construction of the original Seattle Central Library, which was razed in 1957.
As many of these existing libraries enter their second century of service to their communities, they’ll need to be expanded and modernized. Port Townsend is launching a capital campaign to expand and upgrade the historic Port Townsend Public Library, which would double the library’s existing square footage. Here’s an architectural rendering of the project.
Expansions for historic buildings, such as Carnegie libraries, typically preserve the architectural heritage of the building. In 2004, the Carnegie-funded Columbia Branch of the Seattle Public Library was expanded to twice its original size. The new portion of the building extends from the back of the original structure, maintaining the building’s original street presence.
Grand Tour
The Carnegie Library Consortium of Washington is an 
So with 2 libraries visited, I have only 31 more to go!
The Washington State Archives recently revamped its online Digital Archives. The archives is dedicated to preserving electronic records from both state and local agencies that have legal, fiscal, or historic value. The archives also includes the State Library Photograph Collection, which contains 5,274 images of various subjects related to Washington's history, people, geography, and economic development, from 1851-1990. Here’s one of a Boeing 314 Clipper flying past Mt. Rainier.
You can also find photos of historical figures, such as Ezra Meeker, who travelled the Oregon Trail by ox cart and was the founder of Puyallup WA.
The 2011 Washington State Travel Planner is available online. This 152-page, full-color publication is filled with road trips, travel planning tips, maps and photographs that will inspire your wanderlust to explore Washington State. You can also order printed copies of the travel planner here. In addition, the state’s Experience Washington Web site provides a wealth of travel-related resources.
A Douglas County Road Trip
Last week, I traveled through Douglas County. The town of Waterville (elevation 2,650 feet) is the county seat of Douglas County, Washington. The town sits on a broad plain called the Waterville plateau. In the late 19th century, early settlers raised cattle. However, potatoes and wheat eventually became the dominant agricultural industry. Tourism is on the rise here, and the historic Waterville Hotel makes a great overnight stay.
The most striking building in Waterville is the brick and stone Douglas County Courthouse, which was built in 1905.
State Route 2 runs right through downtown Waterville, whose population is around 1,200. Many older building still remain on West Locust Street, which is part of Route 2.
The Waterville Auto Company building on East Park Street is a reminder of the town’s older days.
You can learn about the area’s history at the Douglas County Historical Museum. The mural on the museum’s building depicts a mining scene.
Four miles east of Waterville on Route 2 lies the tiny town of Douglas. The Douglas General Store is the community center.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church is a prominent landmark in Douglas. Build in 1915, the church originally held services in English and German, the language of many of the early settlers in this area.
Route 2 east of Douglas passes through large tracts of farmland. The Farmer’s Community Hall is one of the few buildings along this road.
for the nation and states, as well as congressional apportionment totals for each state. For Washington state, the population increased 14.1% during 2000-2010. Onboard the ferry is a collection of photos taken of Tacoma in the early 1900s. The Octagon Pavilion pictured below stood on the site of the present day Boathouse complex in Point Defiance Park.
The Washington State Ferry system is the largest ferry fleet in the United States 
On the MV Cathlamet, which runs between Mukilteo and Clinton, there are older pieces of ferry equipment on display, such as this nautical speed control to the right.
The MV Cathlamet provides an illustrated history of the early ferries of Puget Sound, such as the photo of the crew of the Hyak.
There’s also a photo of the MV Kalakala, the first aerodynamically designed ferry that was build in 1934.
In addition to historical displays, the Washington State Ferry system showcases the work of local artists, such as Rainbow Rainbow by Eileen Klatt.
The next time you step aboard a ferry, look around — you’re also stepping into history and art.
Point Robinson is the easternmost point of Maury Island, which is a small island connected to Vashon Island. This location is right on the narrowest part of the Puget Sound shipping lane. It’s a great location for watching ship traffic coming in and going out of the Port of Tacoma.
One of the main attractions here is the lighthouse. The Point Robinson Lighthouse began as a fog signal station on July 1, 1885. Since then, it has provided maritime navigational aids for Puget sound marine traffic. The lighthouse may look familiar to you, since the tower is a twin of the Alki Point Lighthouse.
In 2008, the Coast Guard replaced the original Fresnel light with a replaceable plastic beacon mounted outside the lantern room. However, the original Fresnel lens remains in the lantern room where it can be viewed by visitors.
Point Robinson Park
The Point Robinson Lighthouse and the surrounding area is now part of a 10-acre shoreline park and marine conservancy that is managed by the Vashon Park District. The park includes an extensive sandy beach, walking trails in woodland areas, and picnic tables.
You might even consider spending the night here. The lighthouse keepers’ quarters are available for rental. Quarters A (pictured below) has three bedrooms, and Quarters B has two bedrooms. Both rentals have full kitchens for cooking and dining. For more info, see Point Robinson Keepers’ Quarters.
