Washington: State, Capital & President

When I was a child we celebrated Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s Birthday as two separate holidays. Lincoln’s birthday is still February 12 and Washington’s on the 22 but the holiday is now celebrated is President’s Day. And to make it a convenient three day weekend it is on the third Monday in February. This may be great for planning purposes, but I miss celebrating on the actual birthdates of these two presidents.

Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. is located on 100 acres of land that was donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia in 1791. If you are doing research in either of those states in this time period, your ancestor may have ‘moved’ whether he/she wanted to or not! The first census Washington D.C. participated in was 1800 and the 1810 census like the 1890 census has been lost.

Washington State

The Washington State Archives has a great interactive website with free digital images. There is also a collection of Historic Washington Newspapers available to browse online, one of my favorite things to do on a rainy afternoon. Didn’t find what you were looking for in the historical newspapers? Then you can use the Ask a Librarian link to request FREE obituary lookup and receive a copy via email.

The Washington State Archives make me wish I had a few more ancestors who headed farther west than Iowa!

George Washington

While George Washington was the father of our country, he unfortunately did not have any children. He did raise his wife Martha’s two children from her first marriage and had close relationships with his nephews and step grandchildren. To learn more about our first president or if your family research points you in the direction of being a descendent of one of Washington’s relatives check out the George Washington Foundation

I hope everyone has a great President’s Day.

Take Care,
Pattie

The History Channel Presents Washington the Warrior