Washington has long been renowned as a playground for staying active and enjoying a wide variety of sports and outdoor recreation. So it’s fitting that the State Archives has chosen “Washington At Play” as its theme for this year’s Archives Month, which is October.

“Dating back to its early territorial days, Washington and its citizens have a rich and fascinating history, and our State Archives division plays a crucial role in preserving that history for current and future generations,” said Secretary of State Sam Reed. “There are many interesting photographs and stories about Washington’s past, including our recreation and enjoyment of this wonderful state. The Archives does a great job of bringing them to life for all of us.”

October was officially designated Washington’s Archives Month by Governor Chris Gregoire. To celebrate the month-long event, the State Archives, which is a division of the Office of Secretary of State, is distributing free copies of this year’s Archives Month poster. Copies of this year’s poster are available in the Office of Secretary of State, located on the second floor of the Legislative Building in Olympia, and at the State Archives Building in Olympia. The posters also can be found in the Regional Archives branches in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney and Ellensburg. Supplies are limited. A PDF of this year’s poster and previous Archives Month posters can be found by going to http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Archivesmonth/content.aspx?page=posters .

More information about activities during Archives Month is available by visiting the Archives Month Web page at http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Archivesmonth/default.aspx .

Washington’s Archives Month this year is held in conjunction with American Archives Month and is co-sponsored by the State Archives, Washington State Historical Records Advisory Board, the Washington State Historical Society and the Heritage Resource Center.

Based in Olympia with five regional branches throughout the state, the Washington State Archives houses millions of historic items and is the umbrella for the Digital Archives, which has electronically preserved records in an award-winning online database.