Seattle Municipal Archives Online Tools

Listed below are several online indexes that will assist researchers in using the Seattle Municipal Archives.  Descriptions of selected records are also available through the Library of Congress National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections: and through Archives West, a union database of Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids, for archival and manuscript materials in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.


Municipal Archives General Indexes

Municipal Archives Record Series Guide
The searchable version of the Guide contains record series level descriptions of material documenting the history and activities of City government.
Municipal Archives Subject Files
The Subject Files database indexes file folder titles and date spans for most of the collections in the Archives. A search in this database will bring together folder titles on similar subjects even though they may have originated in different City agencies.
Published Document Index
This database indexes government documents published by or for the City from the 1890s to the present, with the largest percentage of documents dating from the 1960s to the present.

Municipal Archives Audio-visual Materials Indexes

Photograph Index
Motion Picture Film Index
Audio Collection Index
Folklife Audio Index

Municipal Archives Specialized Indexes

Municipal Archives Map Index
This index includes catalog records and selected digital images for maps dating from the 1890s to the 1990s.
General Files Index (1870s-1905)
Annexed Cities Reference (1890-1910)
1999 World Trade Organization Accountability Review Committee Document Catalog
City Council Committee History Database
This database contains descriptions, membership information, and dates of existence for Seattle City Council committees from 1971 to the present.
Early Council Proceedings Index
Index to scans of Seattle City Council Minutes dating 1881-1901
Research Library Index
The Office of the City Clerk's Research Library holds more than 500 volumes which are available to the public for use.
Reference Tools