Introduction
This is an introductory guide to useful resources and archival collections about the history of local and regional industries as available through Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections. If you have any questions and/or need assistance finding information, please contact Archives & Special Collections staff and/or the Western Libraries Research Desk.
Original content for this guide was created by Emma Darmody in Spring 2012 (subsequent additions by Archives & Special Collections staff).
Published Resources
- Early Industries of Bellingham Bay and Whatcom County: A Photographic Essay byCall Number: HC108.B43 S33Publication Date: 1980This book places side by side contemporary images and historical information pertaining to Bellingham area industry between the 1880's and early 1900's. The authors focus on Logging, Mining, Fishing, and Farming.
- Bellingham HeraldPublication Date: January 1904See in particular the January 23 "Prosperity Edition" (and subsequent issue on January 25, 1904), which laud the resources, industries and economic opportunities available in the newly incorporated City of Bellingham.
Related Guides
- Environmental History & Activism: Local and Regional ResourcesA guide to resources relating to the history of the environment and environmental activism & conservation in Whatcom County and the larger Pacific Northwest region.
- Fish and FishingA brief guide to archival and other resources about the history of sport & commercial fish and fishing, with a focus on the holdings of Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections.
Collections of General Interest (Center for Pacific Northwest Studies)
Search Center for Pacific Northwest Studies Finding Aids
Some useful holdings are suggested in the list below - see also the industry-specific suggestions on the relevant pages of this guide. Contact CPNWS if you have any questions.
- CPNWS Pamphlet CollectionPublished documents pertaining to various social, economic, political, and historical issues in the Northwestern United States and British Columbia.
- CPNWS Photo DatabaseSearchable catalog of item-level description for over 7000 historic photographic images housed at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies.
- CPNWS Map CatalogSearchable catalog containing item-level description of maps housed at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
- Skagit County Oral History Project RecordsThis is a collection of microfilmed copies of oral history interview transcripts. The interviews were conducted by the Skagit County Historical Society between 1962 and 1979. Topics covered include social life, historical change, politics, agriculture, fishing, and timber. A more detailed written guide containing interview abstracts is available in-house.
Other Useful Links
- Map CollectionWestern owns more than 100,000 maps, many of them published by the U.S. government. The Map Collection is on the second floor of Wilson Library.
Archives & Special Collections
University Archives and Records Management, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-3124
Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-7534
Archives & Special Collections
OUR MISSION
Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections provides for responsible stewardship of and access to unique and archival resources in support of teaching, learning and research at Western Washington University and beyond. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Special Collections, and University Archives and Records Management work together to document the culture and history of Western, the local community and Pacific Northwest region, and to promote public and scholarly access to holdings.