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.

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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.

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