Check out 13,000 years of local history at 520history.org

Last month, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and HistoryLink.org launched 520history.org. The website is an educational resource that encompasses a rich range of geographical, cultural, planning and construction history of the area, from pre-1850 to the present. The website is a key element of WSDOT's project commitments under the National Historic Preservation Act and includes essays, photos, audio interviews. It also includes educational curriculum developed to meet state standards for grades three, four, seven and eight. The curriculum includes geography, civics and history, and emphasizes reading, environmental and sustainability education objectives. On the site, you can learn about the Olmsted parks and boulevards plan, the University of Washington, the “Montlake Ditch,” Native American tribes, and neighborhoods in the SR 520 corridor. Audio interviews are available, including remarks by Lorraine McConaghy, public historian at the Museum of History & Industry, Michael Luis, Mayor of Medina, and others.