Archives and Private Genealogy Museums in Western Washington
There are a number of archives and private genealogy museums in Western Washington. Some of these are readily accessed by any interested person and some are less so for a casual visitor.
Washington State Archives
These are separate from the Washington State Library, though both operate under the Washington Secretary of State. The archives reside in Olympia, as does the Southwest Branch of the Archives that cover Gray’s Harbor and other nearby areas. There is also a branch for the Puget Sound area located in Bellevue. The main archives are open regularly. The Puget Sound Archive is only open by appointment. At the archives web site is a connection to Washington State Digital Archives. These are notable partly because Washington Digital Archives were the first Digital Archives in the nation to preserve the electronic records of both State and Local Governments. This was announced at the beginning of February, 2020 so it is quite recent. Give them a visit online, and figure out what you want to do in person later.
National Archives in Seattle
Late last month, it was announced on our blog and in mainstream news outlets around the region that the Federal Government has approved closing the National Archives in Seattle. Accordingly, you might want to prioritize getting what you want from them before that happens in the next few years. If you are wondering about this closure, the Washington State Archives has an excellent page where they are collecting everything people are finding out about the closure.
MOHAI Museum in Seattle
There are too many museums to mention, and some have a lot more interest than others for the genealogical researcher. One with an excellent collection is Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry. MOHAI, as it is often called, has a wonderful collection of vintage photos, mostly from Washington and more particularly from the Seattle area.
Washington State Historical Society Library in Tacoma
This is a museum and also a research center library/archive. Located in Tacoma, it is housed in an imposing building near the Tacoma Dome. The Washington State Historical Society is home to many unique collections and includes over 70,000 artifacts and half a million images. Many of these are available online, and they accept research requests. If fees apply, you will be contacted before the research is undertaken. There is no staff charge for on-site research visits. Due to limited hours and staffing, advance appointments are required for all on-site research.
Research Requests may also be submitted via mail or telephone.
The Fiske Museum is located in Seattle and is operated by the Fiske Foundation. Visits cost $5 per day or $50 for a year. As their website indicates, “The Fiske Genealogical Foundation is a … Successor to the Fiske Genealogical Center, founded in 1970 by Arthur D. Fiske, a professional genealogist. The Foundation has two major goals: 1. Provide on-going education in genealogical research techniques. 2. Build a library of genealogical materials not readily available, especially for those townships east of the Mississippi River.” Their web site includes an extensive list of their holdings, organized geographically. Many states have hundreds of items, and there are even two from Czechoslovakia, one of which is a periodical and the other an obituary index.
Heritage Quest Research Library in Sumner
As noted on their web site: “Heritage Quest Research Library is a nonprofit genealogy library in Sumner, Washington, managed and staffed entirely by volunteers. HQRL's collection includes foreign and state books, family histories, special subject titles, microfiche, and historic maps.” The library includes a genealogy book store and they offer classes as well. Visiting costs $15 per day, or $45 for a year’s membership. Their catalog, at https://hqrl.com/libraryRecords.php, lists 15,000 records. Some of these records are small and some are very extensive. For example, their record holding of the 1830 Arkansas Territory Census has two rolls of microfiche.
Jewish Genealogical Society Library in Bellevue.
This is actually more of a “become a member for $30 per year and we’ll loan you what we have as long as you bring it back for the next meeting or make other arrangements.” Their web site is at http://www.jgsws.org/library.php If you have Jewish ancestors, this is a place you will want to get in touch with. They meet in Bellevue.
FamilySearch Library (FHL)
This library is in Salt Lake City, Utah and is the largest genealogical library in the world, but it is mentioned here because FamilySearch Centers, such as ours here in Ocean Shores, function as branches. In addition, it has “Affiliate Libraries” that act as more restricted FSL branches. In the southern part of Western Washington, affiliate libraries include: Kitsap Bremerton Library, North Olympic Forks Library, Clallam County Genealogical Society in Port Angeles . Seattle FSL affiliate libraries include the Seattle Public Library Main Branch, the Seattle Genealogical Society, which is across the street from the National Archives, and the Northwest African American Museum, though there’s no mention of it on the museum website, so contact them at 206-518-6000 if you want to use their affiliate library.
Post Series Roadmap
These posts need not be viewed in any particular order, and Hoquiam residents will be less interested in the “Libraries to Consider” while Ocean Shores residents will be less interested in the “Seattle’s Special” topic.
There are a number of archives and private genealogy museums in Western Washington. Some of these are readily accessed by any interested person and some are less so for a casual visitor.
Washington State Archives
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| Washington State Archives |
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| National Archives Entrance Sandpoint Way in Seattle |
Late last month, it was announced on our blog and in mainstream news outlets around the region that the Federal Government has approved closing the National Archives in Seattle. Accordingly, you might want to prioritize getting what you want from them before that happens in the next few years. If you are wondering about this closure, the Washington State Archives has an excellent page where they are collecting everything people are finding out about the closure.
MOHAI Museum in Seattle
There are too many museums to mention, and some have a lot more interest than others for the genealogical researcher. One with an excellent collection is Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry. MOHAI, as it is often called, has a wonderful collection of vintage photos, mostly from Washington and more particularly from the Seattle area.
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| Museum of History and Industry in Seattle Wikipedia Photo by Dllu |
Washington State Historical Society Library in Tacoma
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| Historical Society Building Wikimedia photo by Joe Mabel |
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| Museum is the Building Next to the Dome |
WSHS RESEARCH CENTER 315 Stadium Way Tacoma, WA 9840 (253) 798-5914Fiske Genealogical Library in Seattle
The Fiske Museum is located in Seattle and is operated by the Fiske Foundation. Visits cost $5 per day or $50 for a year. As their website indicates, “The Fiske Genealogical Foundation is a … Successor to the Fiske Genealogical Center, founded in 1970 by Arthur D. Fiske, a professional genealogist. The Foundation has two major goals: 1. Provide on-going education in genealogical research techniques. 2. Build a library of genealogical materials not readily available, especially for those townships east of the Mississippi River.” Their web site includes an extensive list of their holdings, organized geographically. Many states have hundreds of items, and there are even two from Czechoslovakia, one of which is a periodical and the other an obituary index.
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| Fiske Library Web Site Search Page |
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| Heritage Quest Web Welcome Page |
As noted on their web site: “Heritage Quest Research Library is a nonprofit genealogy library in Sumner, Washington, managed and staffed entirely by volunteers. HQRL's collection includes foreign and state books, family histories, special subject titles, microfiche, and historic maps.” The library includes a genealogy book store and they offer classes as well. Visiting costs $15 per day, or $45 for a year’s membership. Their catalog, at https://hqrl.com/libraryRecords.php, lists 15,000 records. Some of these records are small and some are very extensive. For example, their record holding of the 1830 Arkansas Territory Census has two rolls of microfiche.
Jewish Genealogical Society Library in Bellevue.
This is actually more of a “become a member for $30 per year and we’ll loan you what we have as long as you bring it back for the next meeting or make other arrangements.” Their web site is at http://www.jgsws.org/library.php If you have Jewish ancestors, this is a place you will want to get in touch with. They meet in Bellevue.
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| FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City Wikimedia Photo by Brandon Baird |
This library is in Salt Lake City, Utah and is the largest genealogical library in the world, but it is mentioned here because FamilySearch Centers, such as ours here in Ocean Shores, function as branches. In addition, it has “Affiliate Libraries” that act as more restricted FSL branches. In the southern part of Western Washington, affiliate libraries include: Kitsap Bremerton Library, North Olympic Forks Library, Clallam County Genealogical Society in Port Angeles . Seattle FSL affiliate libraries include the Seattle Public Library Main Branch, the Seattle Genealogical Society, which is across the street from the National Archives, and the Northwest African American Museum, though there’s no mention of it on the museum website, so contact them at 206-518-6000 if you want to use their affiliate library.
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| FamilySearch Center in Ocean Shores Modified from Google Maps Satellite View |
These posts need not be viewed in any particular order, and Hoquiam residents will be less interested in the “Libraries to Consider” while Ocean Shores residents will be less interested in the “Seattle’s Special” topic.
- North Beach Genealogy Goes to the Library – Introduction to this post series
- Regional Library Access – includes a table of what is offered at many libraries in our region
- Nearby Libraries – Ocean Shores Public Library, Timberland Regional Library, and Grays Harbor College Library
- Washington State Library – Where our State keeps its stuff
- Other Public Libraries for OS – Pierce County Library, Kitsap Regional Library, and North Olympic Library may offer cards to OS residents, or not
- Seattle's Special – The Seattle Public Library offers some things no other system can match. It’s nice to be giant and rich!
- Beyond the Library – This post
