Media Contacts: Leanne Ingle, Communications Specialist, (877) 284-6237, ext. 2508, e-mail: lingle@trlib.org; or Christine Peck, Aberdeen Community Librarian, (360) 533-2360.

Historian Robert E. Ficken will speak on his recent book, Washington Territory, in celebration of the Washington Territory Sesquicentennial at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 2 at the Aberdeen Timberland Library. The book is the first one-volume comprehensive history covering the economics and politics of Washington’s territorial era (1853 to 1889) to be published since 1890. Dr. Ficken relates in his introduction that he worked through the enormous body of documentary material available and engaged in long, hard digging to fill gaps in the record in order to uncover the reasons for Washington’s unusually lengthy status as a territory.

This presentation is the inaugural lecture of the Rosalie N. Spellman Lecture Program, funded by the Friends of the Aberdeen Timberland Library in honor of Rosalie N. Spellman, City Librarian of Aberdeen from 1958-1983. Mrs. Spellman held degrees in both history and library science. She was a highly regarded public librarian, local historian, and pioneer of accessible public library service to all. She helped initiate the Aberdeen Friends of the Library as well as many special programs and displays.

Dr. Ficken holds a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Washington and is a member of the Washington State Historical Society Board of Trustees. He has written numerous books and articles about the Pacific Northwest and is the winner of several prestigious awards.

For more information, people may call the library at (360) 533-2360.

Timberland Regional Library serves Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties at 27 community libraries and 5 school-based cooperative library centers. For information on any subject, the Grays Harbor County public can telephone Timberland’s Central Reference Service librarians toll-free at 1-800-562-6022. Or they can "Ask a Librarian" online at http://www.trlib.org/asklib.htm. Anyone needing special accommodations to participate in a library’s program may contact the library 4 days in advance.