State History

Enabling Act
Granting statehood, this act provided for the division of Dakota into two States and enabled the peoples of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington to form constitutions and State governments and to be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, and to make donations of public lands to such States.

Oral History Program  
Read the Legislature's collection of oral histories and view other documents listed by historical era.

State History Online  
The Secretary of State's online link to Historical Records, Newspapers and Classics, Special Presentations, Maps and Photographs.

The Burke Museum  
Founded in 1885, the Burke Museum is Washington state's oldest museum. In 1899, the state legislature designated the museum as the Washington State Museum. In the following 100+ years, the museum continued to grow and flourish in collections and research, garnering worldwide recognition as a museum of natural history and culture.

State Historical Society and Museum in Tacoma  
Through interactive exhibits, theatrical storytelling, high-tech displays and dramatic artifacts, learn about our state's unique people and places, as well as their impact on the country and the world.

​​State Symbols  
Symbols are often adopted after a concerted effort by citizens to have a significant item recognized for its importance to the state. Here is a list of the current state symbols, as well as a link to the chapter laws where the icon was declared an official symbol of the state.