About the Archives
Mission Statement
To ensure the preservation of, and to provide access to, enduring historical records that document the actions, activities, and processes of King County government; to collect and maintain these records as a unique cultural and administrative asset held in trust for agencies and citizens of King County.
Collections
We currently maintain a record capacity of 18,000 cubic feet in an 8,700 square foot climate-controlled repository. With holdings dating back to 1853 and which include over three hundred collections, we serve as a permanent source of information about the activities, programs, and decisions of County agencies and elected officials. The majority of our records, however, date from the mid-twentieth century. Some King County government records are also held by the Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives (external link), which began collecting materials before the establishment of the King County Archives program in 1990.
Our collection is limited to those records created by King County government and come in many formats including paper, photographs, maps, oral histories and other recordings. They include legislative records--County Commissioner’s resolutions (1853-1968) and County Council ordinances and motions (1969-1999), a special collection of over 6,000 County documents, pre-charter legislation, administration and policy decisions, early road and bridge establishment and inspection records and records and policies from former County Executives.
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