New exhibit in Olympia tells the story of Washington’s entry into union

OLYMPIA — The state is throwing itself a birthday party Tuesday, Nov. 11, and every resident of Washington is invited.

Heck, bring your out-of-state friends too.

Tuesday marks 125 years since President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Washington to be the 42nd state.

Harrison made the declaration Nov. 11, 1889, in the White House and sent telegrams with the news to Elisha Ferry, Washington’s first governor, and Miles Moore, the last territorial governor.

Come Tuesday, the Washington State Historical Society and the Office of the Secretary of State will mark the occasion with an afternoon celebration and launch of an exhibit on the seminal year.

Starting around 1 p.m. in the Capitol rotunda there will be music and cake plus a re-enactment at 3:09 p.m. of the delivery of the telegram from the president to this state’s leaders.

Also, a new generation of volunteer keepers of the Washington time capsule will be sworn in. Established on the state’s 100th birthday in 1989, this 3,000-pound green safe contains stainless steel capsules that are to be filled with new items every 25 years. All of the capsules are to be opened on the state’s 500th birthday in 2389.

At 4 p.m., a program in the lobby of the Secretary of State’s Office will mark the official opening of an exhibit highlighting individuals and events that made it a memorable year.

“Washington 1889: Blazes, Rails &the Year of Statehood” tells how Olympia became the capital city — it could have been North Yakima — and how raging fires that summer in Seattle, Spokane and Ellensburg destroyed homes and businesses in those communities.

Stories of Native Americans who populated the territory before and after statehood are shared. There’s information about the women’s suffrage movement and the expansion of railroads into the newborn state is explored.

The exhibit also contains a small array of artifacts including an original 42-star flag, tools used to sculpt the Washington State Seal, items pulled from the rubble of the devastating blaze in Seattle and a replica of the state Constitution.

“We’ve tried to give people a sense of what it was to live here then,” Secretary of State Kim Wyman said. “It is a chance to touch and feel our state’s history.”

One of the special elements is the flag, which is on loan from Stuart Halsan, a board member of the Washington State Heritage Center Trust. What makes it stand out is that not many were made. Only seven months passed between the day Washington became the 42nd state and Idaho came in as the 43rd state — requiring new flags with more stars.

The privately funded exhibit is free and runs through Oct. 1, 2015. It can be seen Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — that’s when the office is open — or by appointment.

It is the sixth exhibit produced by Legacy Washington, an education campaign conducted through the Office of the Secretary of State.

For information and appointments, call 360-902-4171.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Celebrate

Ring in the state of Washington’s 125th birthday at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the State Capital Museum. There will be special events and remarks from Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of State Kim Wyman. There will be a re-creation of the telegram delivery that announced Washington’s statehood at 3:09 p.m. and Washingtonians are encouraged to participate in a coordinated tweet saying: “Happy Birthday Washington #WA125” at the same time. For more event information, go to www.washingtonhistory.org/support/heritage/wa125/.

Where to dine

Looking to grab a sandwich or sweet roll? Go where the legislative crowd goes: Wagner’s European Bakery &Café. A five-minute walk away, it is located one block south of the Capitol at 1013 Capitol Way. It is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to wagnersbakerycafe.com or call 360-357-7268.

View online

The “Washington 1889: Blazes, Rails &the Year of Statehood” exhibit will be available to be viewed online starting Nov. 11. For more information, go to www.sos.wa.gov.

See George

The Tacoma Art Museum is honoring Washington’s 125th birthday with a handsome portrait of the state’s namesake. Gilbert Stuart’s most famous work, a portrait of George Washington, will be on loan to the state capital to help with the anniversary celebration Nov. 11. The painting will then journey to TAM for its debut in a new exhibit “Art of the American West: The Haub Family Collection,” which opens Nov. 15.