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June
photo challenge
Asian American and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month challenge results


This photo shows the first fire station in one of Washington's largest cities. 1889 was a very dry year with fires across the Pacific Northwest. After its downtown was decimated and having to rely on volunteer fireman, this city made it a priority to establish a fire department.

Which city is it?

Click image to view larger version.
This man, interred in Ferry County, was the first teacher of English in Japan. As part of Washington's 1989 centennial celebration, representatives from Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and Washington dedicated a monument at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to honor this precedent of goodwill and compassion between Japan and Washington. 

Many of our readers wrote in to correctly identify Ranald McDonald.
Students recognized for exceptional archival research in History Day projects
National History Day is a program that encourages students in grades 6-12 to learn how to be a historian. In Washington, the program is headed by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, in partnership with the Washington State Historical Society, Washington State Archives, and other supporting organizations.

Every year State Archives gives out Washington State Archives History Awards. The special awards are for History Day projects that demonstrated exceptional use of archival research.

The 2022 Washington State Archives History Awards recipients are:

JUNIOR DIVISION

Clara Lundberg | Documentary
"The Waco siege and the debate surrounding effective hostage negotiations"
Teacher: Corey Martin, Northshore Middle School, Woodinville

Jimmy Park and Jaxson Williams | Group documentary
"The debate and battle over the restructure of Indian treaty rights in Washington state"
Teacher: Dean Smith, Housel Middle School, Prosser

SENIOR DIVISION

Andrew Da | Paper
"The broken promise: Debate and diplomacy in the Northwest Native American
fight for fishing rights"
Teacher: Rhonda McGee, North Creek High School, Bothell

Connor O’Rourke, Ben Moskalensky,
Alec Rothkowitz, and David Soto | Group exhibit
"Forming new frontiers in Seattle: The debate for fair employment
at Boeing from 1935–1949"
Teacher: Andrew Ivy, Tesla STEM High School, Redmond
Washington State Archives will present another edition of "Stump the Archivist," a Q&A webinar for researchers of all experience levels, on June 17 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. Rebstock will talk about public health records and then take your questions so you can dig deeper into your research. (Your questions don't need to be related to public health records.)

Register here. It is free to attend this event.

If you receive this email after the event passed, please visit our YouTube channel to view past webinars.
The second annual Thurston Throwback — a conglomerate of historical organizations, including Washington State Archives and Washington State Library — will be back at the Thurston County Fair on Sunday, July 31, after a two-year hiatus.

The group will be stationed in the pole barn next to the rides and 4H animals. There will be several tables hosting hands-on activities based on this year's theme.

There is no additional charge on top of fair admission.
June 22-24, 2022.

Emerging from two years of turmoil and change, museums are more integral to their communities than ever before. Support WaMA and help recognize our museums’ struggles and celebrate their collective successes as they move toward the future, together.
All Washington State Archives branches are open to the public.

Appointments are highly recommended. Contact a certain branch for COVID protocols as they may vary.

Go here for more information, including how to contact each branch to set up an appointment.