HistoryLink facts for kids
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| Owner | History Ink |
| Commercial | 501(c)(3) nonprofit |
| Launched | May 1, 1998 |
| Current status | Active |
HistoryLink is an online encyclopedia about the history of Washington state. It's like a huge digital library filled with facts and stories. The website has almost 7,000 articles. About 5,000 people visit it every day. You can find over 500 biographies of important people. There are also more than 14,000 images to explore.
A non-profit group called History Ink creates HistoryLink.org. They say it was the first online encyclopedia. It was made just for the internet. It focuses on local and state history. Walt Crowley was the person who started it. He was also its first leader.
How HistoryLink Started
In 1997, Walt Crowley had an idea. He wanted to make a history book for Seattle and King County. This was for a special anniversary in 2001. His wife, Marie McCaffrey, had a great suggestion. She thought they should put the history book online.
So, Walt, Marie, and Paul Dorpat started a group. They called it History Ink. This happened on November 10, 1997. They got some starting money from Patsy Bullitt Collins. She was from a well-known family in Seattle. The first version of HistoryLink.org came out on May 1, 1998. More money came in after that. This helped them officially launch the website in 1999.
The website became famous for covering the 1999 WTO protests. These were big protests in Downtown Seattle. HistoryLink even had a live camera showing the streets. In 2003, HistoryLink.org grew even more. It started to cover all of Washington state history. The History Ink group still works today. They also focus on making history books.
Awards and Recognition
Walt Crowley and HistoryLink.org have won many awards. These awards show how important their work is. They have been honored for their great contributions to history.
Some of the awards include:
- The Pacific Northwest Historians Guild's History Award in 2007.
- An award from the Washington State Historic Preservation Office in 2001. This was for their work in media.
- The Association of King County Historical Organizations award in 2000. This was for being the best long-term project.
