Do you love family history? Do you love the Pacific Northwest? Do you love contests? If you can say yes to all three questions, then we are soulmates, and I am duty-bound to tell you about a WONDERFUL contest that you may enter.
It is The Pioneer Pursuit Contest, and it started last fall, but don’t worry, you have until the witching hour (midnight) on October 31, 2023, to submit your entry.
The goal is to document every man, woman, and child living in Washington Territory on or before it became a state on November 11, 1889. About 350,000 people were living here in 1889, so many to choose from! I am researching my great-grandma Emma and her family. The family arrived here before statehood, and “shockingly,” as a married woman, my great-grandmother taught school – eight terms! Yes, I chose one of my relatives to research and document, but you may choose any one of those 350,000 you fancy, related or not! Or several of each!
This contest is open to individuals, historical/lineage groups, and genealogical societies. You research and document the pioneer(s) of your choice and two subsequent generations. The histories will be made accessible online at the end of the contest. Winners and prizes will subsequently be announced for those who submit the most entries. Groups will be judged on the number of submissions as a percentage of their total membership.
I am especially excited to see entries for Thurston County and may dedicate future writing to some of them. Help uncover the family histories of our early territorial inhabitants. Click here for more info. There’s a link on that page for more information.
If you are even more ambitious, an earlier program started in 1984 by the Washington State Genealogical Society (WSGS) is still active. It is the Pioneer Certificate / First Citizen Certificate Program. This was created to commemorate the state’s centennial admission to the USA in 1889. The applicant must prove that they descended from early residents. The Pioneer Certificate covers anyone in the state prior to November 11, 1889. The First Citizen Certificate covers anyone in the state prior to December 31, 1900.
Click here for more information: Certificates are issued to the descendants of pioneers and first citizens upon application and approval by the WSGS Certificate Committee. For more info, email Frank McLean, Pioneer Certificate Chair.
Shirley Stirling, of Lacey, writes about good things people in Thurston County are doing. If you’d like to nominate someone to be profiled, contact her at shirley@theJOLTnews.com or comment below.
CORRECTION, March 31, 2023 -- The earlier version of this story and its headline included the word "photo" with the Washington Pioneer Pursuit Contest. No photos are required or needed to participate. We regret the error.
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Shirley - we tried to do the Pioneer Certificate for David's family but wasn't able to prove that the great-grandfather was in Washington State (but his wife was!). Such a great program and it would be neat to learn some of our early pioneers.
Sunday, April 2, 2023 Report this