More King County history
General County History and Government
King County renaming:
- King County Council motion (February 24, 1986) renaming King County after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Revised Code of Washington, current state law (RCW 36.04.170).
Histories of King County Government Programs, Facilities and Functions
The below histories can be found on King County websites, written by current and former staff of county agencies. See also the Archives' Milestones in King County history.
- Boeing Field
- Brightwater Treatment Plant
- King County Charter
- Comprehensive Plan and Growth Management
- Courthouse history
- Department of Public Defense
- King County Ethics program
- Flood photographs (includes pre-1990)
- Green River homicide investigations
- Harborview Hall
- King County and city Landmarks (PDF)
- Medic One
- History of roads in King County (PDF, 769 KB)
- King County road history
- Sediment management history
- South Treatment Plant (Renton)
- Stream and River Monitoring Program
- Surveying in King County
- Transfer Development Rights
- Transit [milestones and bibliography]
- Wastewater Treatment
- West Point Treatment Plant history
Other local history resources
The King County Archives is a repository of County government records. The below repositories also provide access to historical documents and photographs from the region:
Special Collections Division, University of Washington Libraries - Seattle (external link)
Seattle Room, Seattle Public Library (external link)
King County Snapshots (external link)
Seattle Municipal Archives (external link)
Museum of History and Industry - Seattle (external link)
National Archives and Records Administration at Seattle (external link)
Online regional history sites
A great resource covering a wide range of King County history topics is HistoryLink (external link), a non-profit community history website featuring essays and other independent research relating to Seattle, King County, and Washington State. HistoryLink is not part of King County government nor of the King County Archives, which make no endorsement as to the accuracy of the material presented.
A history of Washington State during the Great Depression (external link) is hosted by the University of Washington.
Beyond the Archives: Historical King County records at other agencies
Not all of King County's historical records are held centrally at the Archives. The following are other places where you can find county records:
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King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER) - Snoqualmie
The Department, or DPER, is the principal source of building and land use permitting documents and maps for unincorporated King County. It was previously known as the Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) and Building and Land Development (BALD) Division.
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King County Road Services Division Map and Records Center - Seattle
The Map and Record Center holds documents, maps and drawings related to current and historical road and street construction, inspection and maintenance in unincorporated King County.
Puget Sound Regional Archives - Bellevue
This repository is part of the Washington State Archives' regional branch system for preserving local government records. It predates the establishment of the King County Archives in 1989 and was the first designated archival repository for county records. Some records are still retained there, notably older tax assessment records, court case files, and some records of the King County Commissioners (1853-1969).