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Personal record

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files date from 1890 to 1984,
and contain

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records of individuals who work
for the City of Seattle.

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They document personal actions
like appointments, oaths

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of office, applications,
examinations and resignations.

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Some of the files
contain a single document,

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and some contain multiple pages
of correspondence and reports.

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But every file will usually

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contain basic information
like the individual's name,

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appointment date, position
title, and department.

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A file
with an applicant statement

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form will have lots
of personal information

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like place,

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and date of birth, and parents'
birth place, marital status,

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previous occupation, military
service, nationality,

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and how long the applicant
has lived in Seattle.

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There's also a spot

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for signatures of people
who vouched for the applicant

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and recommended them
for the position,

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making these forms
in particular, rich resources

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for family history research.

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The job titles represented in

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the collection
are also interesting and reflect

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the needs of the city
during the time.

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Many are for what
you might expect, for

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example: desk clerk, librarian,
or a police officer.

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Others you'll find include

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poisoner, trapper,
assistant milk inspector,

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city bacteriologist,
assistant herder,

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book finder, and quarantine
officer, just to name a few.

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So if you're researching
someone who worked for the city

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sometime between 1890 and 1904,
be sure to let us know.

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Just email archives@seattle.gov
if you have any questions

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about this collection,
or others in the archives.