My father, a very wise man, had a saying: "If you don't know where you've been, you won't know where you're going."

He used it with his children to instill a sense of pride in our family's heritage and culture. He wanted us to know about the people, times, troubles and triumphs of the past that the next generation could draw on when faced with the ups and downs of everyday life.

On December 22, 2002, we will celebrate the 150th Anniversary — the Sesquicentennial — of the creation of King County. As County Executive, I would like to borrow my father's saying to encourage all residents of King County to learn about the history of their local government as we face a challenging future.

Looking back over the past 150 years, you will see that there has rarely been a status quo for King County government. That is because its people have consistently demanded change for the better. From property taxes to sewage treatment, the residents of King County have never been shy about speaking up and lobbying for change.

You will also see that few of the problems facing us today are new. Since 1852, we have struggled with how we care for the mentally ill. Paying for the construction of new roads has been debated since the 1860s. King County has faced public health issues starting with sanitation in the 1880s. And, our citizens have plunged into restructuring our county's governmental organization at regular intervals over the past 150 years.

We have created this Sesquicentennial web site as a resource for the residents of King County. Our KC150 project is made possible through a generous donation from Pepsi, and the efforts of county employees taking on extra duty because they have a fascination for history and pride in working for King County.

Over the next 18 months, we will be adding information to this site to give additional perspective on key issues of our past and future, such as: transportation; social services; governance; and law and justice.

Our goal with this web site and the KC150 project is to better connect the people of King County with their collective history of self-governance. Or, to paraphrase my father: Look at where King County has been, as you help us shape the future for this government and its people.