Evolution of Voting Rights in Washington State by Leonard Garfield When Isaac Stevens became Washington Territory’s first governor in 1853—one of the earliest signs of American government in our region—no one who lived here cast a vote for him. No…
History of the Temple of Justice by David Peterson & Celeste Stokes In 1911 Walter R. Wilder and Harry K. White, architects from New York, submitted the winning design for a group of buildings to comprise the state Capitol Campus,…
The Courts of the Washington Territory: 1853- 1889 by Gerry L. Alexander, Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court (retired) Prior to 1846, our nation’s claim to the geographical area that later became the Washington Territory was very much…
Second Editions of the Common Law: Bracton, Coke and Blackstone The Washington State Law Library has a large collection of British legal treatises, statutes, and case reporters published between the 1500s and the 1970s. Although we no longer actively collect…
News from the Washington Courts Historical Society The Washington Courts Historical Society (WCHS) was founded by Justice Gerry Alexander and Justice Philip Talmadge, to promote a greater public understanding of the significance of the courts in Washington State history. We…
Columbia County Courthouse – Dayton, Washington The Columbia County Courthouse in Dayton is Washington’s oldest. Completed in 1886 and put into use in 1887, the building is only a few years younger than the county, which was carved from Walla…
Book Review – “A Fighting Life” A moving tribute to the extraordinary life of a man who is best defined through a lifetime of service to the cause of equality, Jim Kershner’s book “A Fighting Life” details the humble beginning…
gavel order 2019 forms