Pacific Northwest History
Washington State
Remember to click on the Articles in the TCC Databases tab located in this guide to see a list of suggested databases. There you can find articles about the history of the Pacific Northwest. And be sure to check the other tabs in this guide, such as the People Groups & Immigration or Trade, Industry & Transportation for more Tacoma/Pierce County-related articles on a variety of topics.
Source: "Washington State Map -1914 (Tarr & McMurphy)" is in the Public Domain.
Locating Primary and Secondary Sources
The alphabetical links below go to various online resources that house articles, images, videos, and much more, on the topics of Pacific Northwest history. These websites contain both primary info types such as diaries, letters, images, articles, objects, etc. that were created at the time of the specific event, as well as secondary information. For more info on primary versus secondary info, see the sub-tab under "Articles in TCC Databases."
- About WashingtonFrom HistoryLink.org - includes State Emblems and Anthems, as well as general history about the establishment of the state.
- Access WashingtonOfficial website for Washington State. Find information about the State of Washington, statistics and programs, various resources, and history.
- Archives West"Archives West provides access to descriptions of primary sources in the western United States, including correspondence, diaries or photographs." Search by location or subject.
- Black Americans - HistoryLink searchA collection of articles about notable Black Americans in PNW History
- Chinese Americans - HistoryLinkFrom HistoryLink.org
- Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium - UW"This page is a gateway to a consortium of 12 labor and civil rights history projects" Links to many great primary and secondary sources.
- Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest LGBTQ HistoryA part of "The Oregon Encyclopedia" and a project of the Oregon Historical Society.
- The PNW Olympic Peninsula Community MuseumThe website contains online exhibits and searchable images, articles, and artifacts.
- UW Digital ArchivesFind information, documents, and photographs on an array of Pacific Northwest related topics in the UW Digital archives.
- Washington Dept of HealthData on infectious diseases, injury & trauma, maternal & child health and more.
- Washington State Historical SocietyThe Washington State Historical Society website has a lot of information about the state's history. Search through various collections using this website.
- Washington State Library: Washington ResearchLearn more about Washington state and various resources for research
- Yakima Memory ProjectFunded by a grant through the Washington State Digital Images Initiative, the project involves the digitization of photographs in the Relander Collection at the Yakima Valley Regional Library and the Sundquist Research Library at the Yakima Valley Museum.
- Washington State Fair Collection"Enjoy more than 13,500 photographs showing the scenes, people, rides, events, and many attractions of the Washington State Fair from its founding in 1900 through 2011"
- Murray's People - Tacoma Public LibraryA collection of images and articles from the 30 year career of historian and journalist Murray C. Morgan
- Northwest Postcard Collection - Tacoma Public LibraryThe collection of digitized postcards ranges from the 1880-2000s
- Ships & Shipping Index - Tacoma Public Library"The Ships & Shipping Index contains more than 13,000 individual records with indexed information on ships built on the Pacific Coast, and ships with a connection to the Pacific Northwest. It includes the names (and former names) of vessels, their builders, careers and dispositions."
- Primarily Washington"Washington's Gateway to Pacific Northwest Primary Source Materials for Teachers and Students"
- Everett Massacre of 1916 CollectionA collection of primary and secondary sources from the UW Digital Collection
- Immigrants and the American WestA digital exhibit from the WSU Library's Digital Collections - includes information about immigration from many locations/people groups - including info about major events and everyday life.
- Washington - History and HeritageA 2007 article from the Smithsonian Magazine
- Washington's Equality ProfileFind statistics related to LGBT issues and equality in the state.
- Washington Digital NewspapersWith newspapers from 1852-2010
Featured Books & eBooks
Click on the book, or title, below to learn more
Historical atlas of Washington and Oregon
Library Reference
Except where otherwise noted, the content in these guides by Tacoma Community College Library is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0.
This openly licensed content allows others to cite, share, or modify this content, with credit to TCC Library. When reusing or adapting this content, include this statement in the new document: This content was originally created by Tacoma Community College Library and shared with a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
Tacoma Community College Library - Building 7, 6501 South 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98466 - P. 253.566.5087
Visit us on Instagram!