Oral History

vertical arrangement of black and white photos from the Oral History Collection

The Everett Public Library oral history collection began in 1974. The purpose was to preserve the memories of dozens of local senior citizens. Many of the original interviews in this collection captured the voices of individuals who arrived in Everett's earliest days. Their recollections are a remarkable connection to the formative years of the Everett community.

This digital collection includes a portion of the library's entire oral history collection. New recordings will be added regularly as they are digitized. Listen to the eclectic voices and experiences of detectives, circus performers, athletes, teachers, business and civic leaders, and other individuals who helped shape Everett's identity.

Topics include: President Taft's visit; the Everett Massacre; Al Jolson's show at the Everett Theater; the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition; bootlegging and the Prohibition; banking and finance; memories of local businesses; the Big Snow; sawmills; mines and mining; sports; music; and emigration to Everett.

horizontal arrangement of black and white photos from the Oral History Collection

Each interview includes basic biographical information about the interviewee, including date and place of birth, and date and place of death. Other items in this collection include transcripts and written excerpts of interviews, photographs, hand-written manuscripts, obituaries and newspaper articles, and articles published in the Journal of Everett and Snohomish County History. Notes from the original oral history interview data sheets are provided as a guide to contents in each interview. Time points in the interview notes are approximate.