Seattle Justice by Christopher Bayley Book recommendation by Celeste Stokes, Past President, WCHS This book is a fascinating expose of Seattle’s not-so-remote politically corrupt history, which in many ways mirrors the origin story of Seattle or maybe just a less…
The following contains remarks by Justice Montoya-Lewis at the Washington State Supreme Court Minority and Justice Symposium: Introduction to the Film “Sugarcane.” Condensed and Edited for Publication Good morning, everyone and I want to thank all of the young people…
WHO was that Washington Supreme Court Justice? Charles H. Sheldon, A Century of Judging: A Political History of the Washington Supreme Court (WSU Press, 1988); Charles H. Sheldon, The Washington High Bench: A Biographical History of the State Supreme Court,…
Island County Courthouse – Coupeville Celeste Stokes, Past President, WCHS & David Peterson This article looks at the oldest standing building ever occupied as a courthouse in Washington. On Whidbey Island, Coupeville is one of Washington’s oldest towns, and is…
BOOK REVIEW: Justice William O. Douglas, The Court Years 1939-1975 William O. Douglas, Jr., looks at his father, William O. Douglas, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The two were photographed shortly after Douglas was sworn in as Justice.…
Presented this summer by MOHAI Mandela: The Official Exhibition by Leonard Garfield, Executive Director, Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) In December 1999, Nelson Mandela visited Seattle just days after the tumultuous World Trade Organization protests. In contrast to the…
Yakima County Courthouse The 1883 Yakima County Courthouse, which burned down in 1905. (Photo courtesy of Yakima Valley Museum) by David Peterson and Celeste Stokes, WCHS Board Members The present Yakima County Courthouse complex at the corner of North Second…
Book Review: Arthur S. Beardsley, The Bench and Bar of Washington: The First Fifty Years (1849-1900) (Available at: ) By Hugh Spitzer One of the most amazing and lively sources of information about early Washington judges and lawyers is Dr.…
A Tribute to Ralph Munro, a friend of WCHS. Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives by Al RalstonJuly, 2025 Recently, my friend and former Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro passed away at 81 years of age. He was a…
The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North by Michelle AdamsFarrar, Straus & Giroux, New York: 2025 Reviewed by Michael KingJuly, 2025 [corrected November 2025] So I am standing at a table of…