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Crowdsourcing History: Oregon Locals Launch Database of Historic Properties

ViewHistorical.com launched in early October, starting with about 800 photos of about 150 locations in the founders’ hometown.

Some data just needs a home. Two historical photo enthusiasts from Forest Grove, Ore., created a website to house old neighborhood photographs that people want to share. ViewHistorical.com launched in early October, starting with about 800 photos of about 150 locations in the founders’ hometown -- but they intend to expand the platform globally.

"The model is there for anybody anywhere to replicate,” co-founder Micah Dougherty told Oregon Live. “It really is a platform to begin a local historic community online. … It can be as big as the audience wants it to be. It's going to require a lot of audience participation. I think it could be a lot of fun.”

The website features a Google-style map plotting the locations of each photo and a search by ZIP code function. Clicking on a photo icon allows the user to view photos from that location. Content curation takes a Wikipedia-style approach, where anyone is allowed to upload, create and edit content, which is verified by trusted contributors.

Colin wrote for Government Technology and Emergency Management from 2010 through most of 2016.