HistoryLink.org is the first and largest encyclopedia of community history created expressly for the Internet. It is an evolving online encyclopedia of state and local history in Washington state. HistoryLink.org provides a free, authoritative, and easily accessible history reference for the benefit of students, teachers, journalists, scholars, researchers, and the general public. With a few noted exceptions, all essays and features on this site are original works prepared exclusively for HistoryLink.org by staff, contract writers, volunteers, and consulting experts. The encyclopedia contains more than 5,200 essays and is constantly expanding, with new essays added every week. The site debuted with demonstration content on May 1, 1998, and its original Seattle-King County database became functional on January 15, 1999. HistoryLink launched a parallel Washington database with initial content on March 2, 2003, making it the nation’s first original online encyclopedia of state history. On October 14, 2004, HistoryLink.org launched a redesigned and merged database to provide easier access to its essays and Web features. On September 8, 2008, HistoryLink.org was again updated with new design and other improvements. Like the communities and state it chronicles, HistoryLink.org is a work in progress. We add new features and essays continuously to fill gaps and enlarge on selected subjects, and existing essays are often expanded or corrected to reflect new information. HistoryLink.org is produced by History Ink, a Washington non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation. It was established in 1998 to undertake innovative approaches to historical research, education, and publishing. In addition to producing the HistoryLink.org encyclopedia, History Ink engages in other research and publishing.