United States History: Local History

Local history

Washington

Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest: Curriculum Materials
Curriculum packets focus on various aspects of state history and are accompanied by primary sources
CWU Digital Collections
From this page, click on "Community Projects," then "Local Collections" and "Regional Collections" for historic photographs depicting the Ellensburg region
Early Washington Maps
State and local historic maps
Everett Public Library Digital Collections
Collection includes photographs, oral histories and more dealing with Everett history
Historic Washington Newspapers
Washington territorial papers
King County Snapshots
Over 12,000 historic photographs from the county
Northwest Historical Annual Reports Collection
Digitized annual reports of 4 PNW corporations: Boeing, PACCAR. Pacific Car and Foundry Company & Weyerhaeuser Company
Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum
More than 12,000 images and artifacts depicting the history and culture of the Olympic Peninsula
Seattle Municipal Archives Photograph Collection
Digitized collection of 100,000 images of the Seattle area
Tacoma Public Library Digital Collections Image Archive
Historic information and collections include over 40,000 digitized photographs of the area
UW Libraries Digital Collections
Major database: Historic photographs and other material primarily of the Pacific Northwest
Washington History
Click on the "Archives" tab for territorial newspapers, photographs and more
Washington State Digital Archives
Genealogical records as well as government documents, photographs and more
Washington Women's History Consortium
Clearinghouse of digital collections dealing with Washington State women's history
WSU Digital Collections
Collection includes photographs, maps, news clippings and more with a focus on eastern Washington history
Yakima Memory
More than 10,000 historic photographs of the Yakima area

PNW history encyclopedias and other reference works

These resources can provide background information and identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. Many also provide a jumpstart on your research by listing related readings.

Two online encyclopedia collections: Gale Virtual Reference & Oxford Reference Online

HistoryLink
Free online encyclopedia focused on Washington State history.
Oregon Encyclopedia
Free online encyclopedia focused on Oregon State history.
Pacific Region
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Encyclopedia with a focus on regional culture and society
A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest
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Brief characterizations of PNW tribes

General sites for PNW history

UW Libraries Digital Collections
Major database: Historic photographs and other material primarily of the Pacific Northwest
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
Digital collection of historic photographs and documents about the Northwest Coast and Plateau Indian cultures
Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest
Annotated listings of websites relevant to the history of the Pacific Northwest
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Digital archives on ethnic groups living in the Columbia River Basin
Journals of Lewis & Clark
Journals from the 1803-1806 expedition
Pacific Northwest Historical Images

Alaska

Alaskan Russian Church archives: records, 1733-1938
Microfilm collection; 376 reels; A8220
Alaska's Digital Archive
Collection includes historical photographs, albums, oral histories and more

Idaho

University of Idaho Digital Collections
Collection includes historic photographs, documents and more
Idaho State Historical Society Digital Collections
Collection includes historic photographs, oral histories and more

Oregon

Southern Oregon Digital Archives
Collections of sources dealing with history, First Nations and the environment
University of Oregon Digital Collections
Collections on Oregon and the university's history as well as other topics
Oregon Historic Photograph Collections
Thousands of historic photographs of Oregon with an emphasis on the Salem region
Oregon Explorer
Historic photographs, reports and more that document the natural resources of Oregon