First photo challenge
of the new year
Here's a 1946 photo from the Washington Department of Transportation, showing what is now one of the busiest intersections in Thurston County.

Can you name the three streets, the city, and the business housed in the still-standing building on the far left?

Click the photo to enlarge.
This was a tough one.

Few readers dared to venture a guess, and only two correct answers were submitted.

The photo shows the "Governor's Christmas Party for Kids," an annual tradition enjoyed by Dan Evans, but no governors after him, as the tradition ended after 1976.
Scribe has long been without death certificates, but our volunteers need not wait anymore. Tens of thousands of records from the Department of Health have been uploaded and are now available for transcription.

If you aren't familiar with Scribe, it's an online digital application that enables users to become “honorary archivists” by transcribing and indexing records that are historically important to Washington. By using Scribe, volunteers are able to add information to the images, making them searchable on the Washington State Archives Digital Archives.

Scribe users are volunteers from around the globe who have access to the ever-growing collection of digital images ready to be transcribed and indexed, from home, on their own time.

If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, please go here to create an account. You can view a short tutorial here. Happy Scribing!
Congratulations to Dan Waterbly, the 2020 Archives Employee of the Year!
The Office of the Secretary of State selected its annual Employee of the Year from each division. The individual honor at the Washington State Archives went to Senior Software Engineer Dan Waterbly, one of the key architects of the Washington State Archives Digital Archives.

From State Archivist Steve Excell: "Dan started at the Digital Archives in 2006 and has been key to its overall success. He was the creator of ArchiveThis! – the tool our partners use to transmit electronic records to the Digital Archives. He is a valued team member that helps develop and maintain the underlying technology."

Congratulations, Dan!
Dan Waterbly, Senior Software Engineer, Washington State Archives.
Who said
that?
Julia Butler Hansen went from small-town Cathlamet, WA, to Washington, D.C., to become one of the greatest political influences in U.S. history.

Legacy Washington released a new biography, written by John C. Hughes, on Nov. 16, 2020.

"Julia Butler Hansen: A trailblazing Washington politician" can be purchased here, or from a number of book retailers.
With consideration for the safety of the public and our staff, and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Olympia and Ellensburg branches of the State Archives are accessible in person by appointment only.

All other branches remain closed, but still allow state and local government agency staff to research records on an emergency basis.

The Tumwater Records Center continues to operate at its usual capacity.

Go here for more information.
"If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today."

Who said that?

Hint: The person in the photo above has nothing to do with this quote.

Last month's quote was from Apolo Ohno, Olympic speed skater.
Out of the Archives, January 2021 banner photo: Grand Coulee Dam, Columbia Basin Project [Scrapbook], 1935-1941. Scrapbooks. 1935.