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Manuscripts Collection of the Washington State Library

The Manuscripts Collection contains unique, unpublished records created by organizations and individuals in the conduct of their activities. Letters, speeches, minutes, reports, writings, and other types of records document the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest.

The State Library has over 550 distinct collected manuscripts. These include records, printed documents, memorabilia, graphic materials, maps, newspapers, ledgers, published books, pamphlets, correspondence, scrapbooks, proof sheets, clippings, and other historically significant materials or ephemera. There are many original manuscripts of published Washington State history titles in the collection.

MS 001

Washington State Library Special Collections collect and preserve manuscripts that are not generated through the government of the State or Territory of Washington. 
Manuscript collections generated through state and local government may be found through the State Archives.

Browse the Manuscripts Collection by title in the catalog

Collection Highlights

Digitized Manuscripts

Guidelines for Use of the Collection

 

 

 

Collections Highlights

  • Emma Smith DeVoe's correspondence and scrapbooks, 1880-1920 (MS 171)
  • Isaac Ingalls Stevens papers, 1835-1972 and 1835-1862 (MS 3)
  • (George Washington) Bush family papers, 1856-1939 (MS 72)
  • Photographs and history of Washington State libraries, 1938-1994 1966-1971 (MS 417)
  • Washington Pioneer Project records and interviews, 1936-1937 (MS 31)
  • Columbia Basin Survey Commission's records and other materials, 1919-1962, 1949-1962 (MS 138)
  • 16th century (1551) bible excerpt, “From a Matthew Bible-- after Thomas Matthew, printer in Antwerp: five pages from Second Chronicle”, rebound in or around 1846 (MS 140). This may very well be the oldest item in the Manuscripts Collection.

 

Digitized Manuscripts