Washington Public Library Memory Lab

Washington Public Library Memory Lab Our Memory Lab is part of the Washington (IA) Public Library's MakeIT Place.

The purpose of the Memory Lab is to engage with the community of Washington, Iowa to digitize and share images of our past.

Don't lie. You know you've been waiting for this one. From page 5 of The Washington Evening Journal, June 16, 1969:"With...
05/28/2026

Don't lie. You know you've been waiting for this one. From page 5 of The Washington Evening Journal, June 16, 1969:

"With the coming of summer just around the corner, a new ride for the kids has been installed in Sunset Park. These pictures show the new "Astro City" ride. It has been in use for several weeks. The ride consists of several slides and a maze of ladders and walkways leading to the slides. - Journal photo"

Of course, we just called it the 'rocket ship'. A Washington icon.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place.

Volunteers welcome! We are especially looking for people who could transcribe captions from digital 'clippings' of the original photos. You could work from home and your computer and you should have good typing skills, and be familiar with Washington area names, institutions, traditions and places. Some of the clippings can just be copied and pasted into text files with a minimum of editing; others are blurry or a little hard to read. We'll take what we can get. Interested in trying a sample? Message us here. mk

It's almost that time again: Ridiculous Days. Coming June 5-8, 2026. Here's a look back at 1978, from The Washington Ev...
05/13/2026

It's almost that time again: Ridiculous Days. Coming June 5-8, 2026. Here's a look back at 1978, from The Washington Evening Journal Collection: Four Members of the Journal's Ad Department make their own statement in these photos that were never published. "Every Week's an Ad-Venture at the Evening Journal" was a reference to the Journal's free Shopper publication that was printed and delivered once a week. The four are Virginia McCurdy, Lucille Moore, Bill Swift, and Darwin Sherman.

I'm pretty sure I shot these photos myself... Mark Keedy.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

From the Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project. Monday, Feb. 6, 1978, page 1:“RON ARMSTRONG was named Fireman...
04/29/2026

From the Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project. Monday, Feb. 6, 1978, page 1:

“RON ARMSTRONG was named Fireman of the Year at the annual banquet of Washington Volunteer Firemen Saturday night at the Captain's Table. At the left is Mrs. [Karen] Armstrong who received a corsage. Presentation of the award to Armstrong was made by Fire Chief Lew McFadden (right). The event was attended by firemen and their wives. Recognition also was given to Charles Lemley who retired after 28 years of service, and to Mike Roe, a new fireman this year. — Journal photo.”

Of course it was at the Captain’s Table, as were many newsworthy gatherings. Cropped out of the photo when it was published, was the elaborate mural on the back wall, painted in the ‘60’s by Carlton Bump. Seeing this caused us to wonder: Did anyone make an effort to preserve the mural before the building was torn down? Wouldn’t that be cool?

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

From the Washington Evening Journal, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1978, from a grocery store ad on Page 12:Mrs. Eugene (Nancy) Boock...
04/29/2026

From the Washington Evening Journal, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1978, from a grocery store ad on Page 12:

Mrs. Eugene (Nancy) Boock is the ‘Gamearama’ $100 winner at Bud’s Jack and Jill, receiving her prize from store manager John Crawford. This isn’t the exact photo that ran in the paper. That one had her daughter, Angie Boock, with a more serious expression. This one was WAY more fun.

On a sad note, Nancy Boock and her daughters, Kathy Boock and Pamela Boock Ray (two of Angie’s sisters), died in a fatal car-train collision on the west side of Washington at the railroad’s crossing with the Main Street Extension on Jan. 21, 1985. Nancy was 40, Kathy was 19, and Pamela was 20. Pam’s children, 3-week-old Amanda and 11-month old Jeremiah were also in the car, but survived with injuries.

We shared this photo with Angie before posting it here. “Good times,” she said of the photo. “I miss my mom so much.”

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

Those were different days.It's June, 1968, on the playground at Lincoln school and children play on a jungle gym, oblivi...
04/28/2026

Those were different days.

It's June, 1968, on the playground at Lincoln school and children play on a jungle gym, oblivious to the possibility of falling down on the concrete below; and unconcerned by the workmen installing a new gas main to the school. The "Caution" signs appear to be an afterthought.

The photo is part of the Washington Evening Journal collection, and was probably shot by Journal Photographer Helen Gilbert Thorne. It was never published, so you'll have to guess who the carefree children are.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

For those of you who may want to make prints from the Journal photos, here's some additional information (in legalese) about the Creative Commons Copyright:

CC-BY-NC SA: You are free to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. By attribution you must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may NOT use the material for commercial purposes. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original (CC-BY-NC SA). You may NOT apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Another Washington Evening Journal image from September 1977. While airborne and shooting photos of the huge 1977 Farm P...
04/27/2026

Another Washington Evening Journal image from September 1977. While airborne and shooting photos of the huge 1977 Farm Progress show, a Journal Photographer passes over the south end of town during the early morning and captures both Halcyon House and Washington Junior High School.

The caption (with the Junior High and much of the right side of the photo cropped out):

"HALCYON HOUSE RETIREMENT facilities on South Iowa Avenue in Washington were the site for a special consecration service Thursday when Bishop Lance Webb led the program during which the newest additions were formally dedicated. The consecration included Phase II Apartments (the four-story bullding af the left), and the new health care facilily which is barely visible al the rear of the main Halcyon House bullding at the right. The structure in the center is the first apartment bullding erected a few years ago. The apartments are completely filled and there is a waiting list of future tenants. A few beds in the health care unit remain open. — Journal photo"

We are guessing this was shot by either Marty Chebuhar or Charles Morris.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

September, 1977. A moody night shot on North Iowa Avenue at the Rainbow Inn, Washington, Iowa. We're not sure who shot ...
04/27/2026

September, 1977. A moody night shot on North Iowa Avenue at the Rainbow Inn, Washington, Iowa. We're not sure who shot this, why, or when, but it is filed with other film from that month and year. Apparently unpublished. If the clock was correct, it was 12:52 a.m.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

July 25, 1977, from page 1 of the Washington Evening Journal:"A light pole that was knocked down by a car that went out ...
04/16/2026

July 25, 1977, from page 1 of the Washington Evening Journal:

"A light pole that was knocked down by a car that went out of control on the north side of Washington's downtown business district Monday afternoon. No one was seriously injured and damages could have been far worse in the accident, which occurred when a rural Ainsworth woman lost control of her vehicle. The car ended up on the sidewalk. - Journal photo"

This is not the exact frame that ran in the paper, but may be of more interest because of the view of the stores on the west end of the north side of the square. We think we see Dave Elder approaching, and wearing his trademark hat, tie and sport coat.

Protecting stores, the people in them, and pedestrians is still a topic of discussion. It's happened more often than you might think.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

It's July, 1977, and I'm in my second year of being "the summer guy" at The Washington Evening Journal, taking photos an...
04/15/2026

It's July, 1977, and I'm in my second year of being "the summer guy" at The Washington Evening Journal, taking photos and writing stories, and generally having a very good time, and looking to transfer to The University of Iowa in August.

As I recall, someone came in to have some printing done. Because he was organizing a fund-raising project, he had a car full of prizes that could be won by the participating sales force... probably students at one of the local schools. A clock radio, a cassette player, a 110 camera, and stuffed toys, all of which I had to photograph.

Then, there was this: a photo of me in the newsroom with a big stuffed elephant. Thanks to either Charles Morris or Marty Chebuhar for capturing this poignant moment in history. Yes, I am sticking out my tongue.

Copyright by The SE Iowa Union under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC_SA. No commercial reuse. The Washington Evening Journal Photo Archive project is underwritten by the Washington Public Library Foundation and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and hosted at the WPL MakeIt Place. Volunteers welcome.

For even more fun with historic photos from the Washington area, visit the Fortepan IA site that is embedded in the Wash...
04/15/2026

For even more fun with historic photos from the Washington area, visit the Fortepan IA site that is embedded in the Washington Public Library web site: https://www.washington.lib.ia.us/online-resources/local-photos-washington-iowa

The interface is reasonably intuitive, but feel free to contact us with questions.

Here's a screen shot of the site showing the south side of the square and Wolf Floral, as it appeared during the 1939 centennial celebration.

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