Washington (State). Dept. of Public Welfare.

The Washington Pioneer Project, as it came to be known, was organized for the purpose of collecting stories and experiences of the Pioneers and Old Timers of early statehood. The individuals were interviewed and their experiences were to be recorded to stand as a memorial. The interviews were gathered from all parts of the State and assembled in Olympia, WA. It was intended at the beginning of the Project that the stories would be compiled into a folklore history of the State, which it was in Told by the Pioneers. Told by the Pioneers was a three volume set of a compilation of the interviews that were taken. There was a governing and advisory board that was composed of 7 members to guide the work, and advise, as to the scope of the work, methods of securing the data, compiling the data and editing the data for the book. This Project was part of the Washington State Dept. of Public Welfare Friendly Visiting Program. The Project was begun in early 1936. Senior citizens that were receiving old-age assistance from the Dept. were interviewed for their memories and recollections of the early State.