This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Interstate 5 Fifty years ago this week, on May 14, 1969, the final segment of Interstate 5 in Washington opened for traffic between Marysville and Everett, allowing motorists to travel without interruption from the Canadian border to the California state line. The new freeway also…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Checking In May is Historic Preservation Month, and this week HistoryLink looks at two of Washington’s grand hotels that have been lovingly restored and preserved for use by future generations. The first is Spokane’s Davenport Hotel, which was designed by prominent architect Kirtland Cutter. Thousands…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Sailing Around During the last week of April 1792, British explorer Captain George Vancouver and American fur-trader Captain Robert Gray met near Cape Flattery before continuing on with their separate explorations. A few days later, Vancouver named Port Townsend in honor of the Marquis of…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Fiery Sites One hundred and thirty years ago this week, on April 18, 1889, a devastating fire wiped out much of Cheney in Spokane County. This was just the first of several notable conflagrations throughout the state that year, and was followed by major fires in…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Play Ball! Fifty years ago this week, on April 8, 1969, the Seattle Pilots took to the field in their first game and beat the California Angels in Anaheim, 4-3. Three days later, cheers rang out when they played their first home game, shutting out…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Tacoma’s Early Days April 1 marks two important dates in the early history of Tacoma. The first occurred on April 1, 1852, when Nicolas Delin began building a sawmill at the head of Commencement Bay. The bay had been named nearly 11 years earlier, just after Lt. Charles Wilkes “commenced” his survey of…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Women of Words This week HistoryLink celebrates Women’s History Month with a look at a few of Washington’s notable women authors, journalists, and poets. We begin with Ella Higginson, a Bellingham writer and Washington’s first poet laureate. Other Washington poets include Colleen J. McElroy, who…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Tacoman Array This week HistoryLink features new articles related to some significant people in Tacoma’s past. These essays were made possible by a Heritage Project Grant from the City of Tacoma Landmarks Preservation Commission, and we are very thankful for their support. We begin with Puyallup…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Home Rule Charter Fifty years ago this week, on March 11, 1969, King County voters elected John Spellman, a Republican, as their first county executive under the new Home Rule Charter that was approved four months earlier. Voters also chose seven new members for the…

Seattle Black Panther Party protesters outside of the capitol building in Olympia

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Firsts of the Month February is Black History Month, and this week HistoryLink notes some of Washington’s many African American “firsts.” We begin with George W. Bush and his family, who in 1845 were among the first Americans to settle north of the Columbia River,…

This story was originally published at HistoryLink.org. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Snowy Display This week, as most of Washington experiences the snowiest February in decades, HistoryLink invites you to curl up next to the warm glow of your tablet, smartphone, or computer screen as we take a look back at some of the region’s worst snowstorms….