Eleven sailors from the U.S. Naval Station in Tacoma volunteered their services in October of 1952 to help finish the work on the Living War Memorial which was dedicated to the war dead of Pierce County. They set posts and prepared logs for the guard rail which bordered the site. The dedication of the Memorial Park, located at the south end of the east approach to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, took place on Armistice Day 1952. In February 2003 the park was demolished to make way for the new Narrows Bridge; a new, larger War Memorial Park was dedicated on May 13, 2006. (TNT, 10/26/1952, p.C-13) TPL-9078

Parks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Memorial Park (Tacoma); Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma; Sailors--Tacoma;

Two Cheney Lumber Company planes are flying east on the north side of Mount Rainier in front of Willis Wall and the Winthrop Glacier. Glaciers are among the most conspicuous and dynamic geologic features on Mount Rainier. They erode the volcanic cone and are important sources of stream flow for several rivers, including some that provide water for hydroelectric power and irrigation. They appear rigid and unchanging but in fact they deform and flow continuously. Maximum speeds occur near the surface and along the center line of the glacier. During May 1970 Nisqually Glacier was measured moving as fast as 29 inches per day. TPL-8252

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Glaciers; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Airplanes;

Members of the steering committee were drawn from virtually every civic, service, fraternal and military group in Tacoma to plan for the completion and dedication of the Living War Memorial site. The two and one-half acre site overlooking the Narrows Bridge was given to the Young Men's Business Club by Harold A. Woodworth and was then deeded to the city. L-R, Lt. L.C. Bloom, R.G. Anderson, John C. Migdula, M.J. McCaslin, Claude V. Munsey, Norton Gordon, and Leon Kleiner. Members of the committee not present are Joseph LaMontague and Wilfred Brown. (TNT, 9/28/1952, p.A-12 & 11/9/1952, p.1) TPL-9079

Parks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Memorial Park (Tacoma); Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma; Monuments & memorials--Tacoma;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. A young couple has just strolled through the welcoming gates of Fort Nisqually inside Point Defiance Park. The fort had been moved from its original location near DuPont in 1934 and carefully reconstructed using the same methods of construction as the original fort. Fort Nisqually was the first European settlement on Puget Sound. In 2006 it remains a part of Point Defiance Park, owned and operated as a Living History Museum by Metro Parks of Tacoma. (www.fortnisqually.org/history)

Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma);

Four workmen carry a portable cage into an outdoor, fenced facility at the Point Defiance Zoo. Another man directs the delivery of the Yellowstone Park grizzly bear. The female cub arrived June 25th. She was the replacement for the grizzly that escaped in 1937 and was never recovered. She arrived only to find that her intended mate had escaped two weeks earlier. Adequate precautions were being taken to prevent the escape of this cub. (T. Times 6/27/1938, pg. 3)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Grizzly bears; Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals; Zoo keepers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Artist view of Mount Rainier in the distance between two tree-covered hills divided by farm land and a meandering stream. The area is identified as O'Hop Valley.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Valleys--Washington; Croplands--Tacoma;

Bremerton Day at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park. Skiers enjoy spring skiing, frolicking in the snow at Paradise.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Skiers--1930-1940; Skiing--Mt. Rainier--1930-1940; Winter sports; Snow;

View from south to north of "The Bowl" area of Point Defiance Park with automobiles moving and parked along road. Pond Garden in the background. The crown jewel of Tacoma's park system was obtained from the US military in 1888. In the beginning, the south end of the park was developed as a much more formal garden than we are accustomed to now. Many of the smaller trees have been trimmed into spheres and cones.

Parks--Tacoma; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Girl Scout Day Camp, sponsored by the Tacoma Council, was held three days a week at Puget and Lincoln Parks. Here the Girl Scouts take a break to serve some refreshments from the Camp Kitchen at Lincoln Park. The campers are, left to right, Jean Coulter, Carol Betts, Dorothy Spence, Patricia Mozle, Jacqueline Baker and Patricia Aitchison. Approximately 256 Girl Scouts attended one or more days. The most popular activities were crafts, dramatics and archery. (T. Times 7/12/1938, pg. 1)

Lincoln Park (Tacoma); Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Camps--Tacoma--1930-1940; Outdoor cookery--Tacoma--1930-1940; Coulter, Jean; Betts, Carol; Spence, Dorothy; Mozle, Patricia; Baker, Jacqueline; Aitchison, Patricia;

People enjoying activities at lake resort, perhaps Spanaway Park. Tall, open, wooden structure for swimmers is adjacent to a one-story building.

Facilities - Parks - Pierce County - Swimming PlatformsRecreation Sports - Water Sports - Swimming

Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park, during filming of "Thin Ice". Power, with Henie beside him, plays cards under the watchfull eyes of a star-struck crowd.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Actresses--Tacoma; Henie, Sonja, 1912-1969; Skaters; Actors--Tacoma; Power, Tyrone; Motion picture industry--Tacoma;

Sonja Henie, right in fur-lined hood, leads members of the cast and crew of "Thin Ice" under an archway of raised skiis at Paradise, Mount Rainier Park. The film opened in Tacoma at the Music Box Theater on September 27th, 1937.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Actresses--Tacoma; Henie, Sonja, 1912-1969; Skaters; Motion picture industry--Tacoma;

Seven-year-old Owen Dickson, with his dog, Coachie, is working on a picture tracing in this photograph taken at McKinley Playfield in August of 1936. Owen was taking part in a summer crafts program jointly sponsored by the Metropolitan Parks and the WPA Recreation Department. Children were taught drawing, handicrafts and other hobbies. (T. Times 08-19-1936 p.1).

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; McKinley Playfield (Tacoma); Dogs; Handicraft--Tacoma--1930-1940; Arts & crafts; Dickson, Owen;

A trio of girls show off a completed basket. The girls learned basket weaving in a craft program at McKinley Playfield. The activity was part of a city wide program sponsored in Tacoma parks and playfields by the Metropolitan Park Board and the WPA Recreation Department. The girl in the center has been tentatively identified as Ruth Field. (T. Times 8/19/1936, pg. 1) TPL-9234

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; McKinley Playfield (Tacoma); Handicraft--Tacoma--1930-1940; Arts & crafts;

ca. 1936. Bastian at Fort Nisqually, Point Defiance Park. Fort Nisqually was relocated from the site of the original Hudson's Bay Fort near DuPont to Point Defiance Park in Tacoma with the help of the Young Men's Business Club of Tacoma, the Chamber of Commerce, and several federally subsidized work relief programs. The project, whose cost exceeded $150,000 during the depression, created many needed jobs for men out of work. Ordered by Lee Merrill..

Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma);

ca. 1933. Parked cars cover the grounds around Funland as crowds descend on a weekend day to ride the carnival type rides. Funland was an amusement park with rides located at Point Defiance Park. A low building is in the middle of the photograph with the swing ride, the oval track and the facade for the bumper car ride beyond. TPL-8321

Funland (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Amusement parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Amusement rides--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobiles--Tacoma--1930-1940;

In 1933 work began in earnest to create Jefferson Park on Tacoma's "West End", originally bordered by North 7th and North 9th Streets, Mason Avenue and Monroe Street. The land for the park had originally been purchased in the early 1920s. The finished park was finally dedicated in November, 1937. This photograph was taken from near the corner of north 7th and Mason looking northeast.

Jefferson Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma; Bulldozers;

Unusually warm temperatures and clear skies on Sunday, July 11, 1937 turned out record crowds at Tacoma's swimming holes. An unidentified park service lifeguard was photographed teaching youngsters to swim at the new Point Defiance Park salt water beach. The beach was formally named Owen Beach in 1959 to honor Floyd Owen, a 47-year park district employee. (T. Times 7-12-1937, pg. 1).

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Children playing in water--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children swimming--Tacoma;

ca. 1937. Pt. Defiance zoo; woman holding exotic bird to show to group of children. The bird is most likely a golden pheasant. The children seemed to have mixed emotions about the exotic bird.

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Peacocks; Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals;

ca. 1937. Pt. Defiance zoo; woman holding exotic bird to show to group of children. The bird is most likely a peacock. The children seemed to have mixed emotions about the exotic bird.

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Peacocks; Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals;

ca. 1936. Four men looking over the rail of a ferry. In the distance is the Narrows, south of Point Definance to the transmission towers. Stock negative.

Puget Sound (Wash.); Ferries--Tacoma;

Summer. Youngsters play volleyball at Wapato Park in August of 1941.

Wapato Park (Tacoma); Volleyball--Tacoma;

On June 9, 1940, there would be a double dedication ceremony at Point Defiance, for the new boathouse (pictured) and the new museum at Fort Nisqually. Construction on the boathouse was started in December of 1939 and completed June 1, 1940. It was the largest west of Chicago, 345 x 125 feet, and cost $21,497. It was constructed of wood and built adjacent to the existing cement pavilion, which would now be converted to an expanded aquarium. The lower deck contained 500 boat lockers, 50 motor boat lockers and space for 200 concession rental boats. Live bait, fishing gear and electric hoists were available. The lower deck had 50,00 square feet and the upper promenade and balcony contained 20,000. Upstairs were the concessions including the restaurant and lunch room counter seating. A dining and banquet room were scheduled to be completed in the future. The restaurant would serve fresh salmon dinners at all times, or you could bring your own salmon catch and have it prepared and served to you. New were marine gas accommodations and berths for commercial craft, such as the excursion boat the Virginia V. (T. Times 5/7/1940, pg. 1 & 11)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Point Defiance Pavilion (Tacoma);

Fort Nisqually granary for Young Business Men's Club. Actors portray life as it would have been during the days of the early settlers to the Puget Sound region and the Hudson's Bay Company. The Granary is one of the original buildings from the Fort; it was constructed in 1851. It is the oldest standing building in the state of Washington. It was originally erected as a storage facility for the Fort's harvest. TPL-2369.

Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Actors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Historical reenactments--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The snow on Mount Rainier glistens in the sunlight inviting a bumper crop of skiers for the 10th annual Tacoma Winter Sports Carnival. Skiers can be seen dotting the snow, enjoying the perfect ski conditions. (T.Times, 1-27-41, p. 1)

National parks & reserves; Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Tacoma Winter Carnival (Tacoma);

A smiling Virginia Davis, Queen of the Tacoma Winter Carnival, took a breather, sitting on the official DeSoto's fender with an unidentified man after the crowning ceremony on January 26, 1941. The official cars were supplied by Winthrop Motors.

National parks & reserves; Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Tacoma Winter Carnival (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; De Soto automobiles; Davis, Virginia;

A representative of the Hudson's Bay Co.'s British Columbia headquarters presents a replica of the original flag to fly over Fort Nisqually on February 12, 1941. It was presented on behalf of the Company by Ted Haakinson and accepted on behalf of the council by Dr. H.V. Hoover. Third from the left is William P. Bonney. Third from the right is Marcella Rigney Henly and to the right is her husband Neil Henly. TPL-441 (T. Times 2/13/1941, pg. 20)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Historical reenactments--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bonney, William P.; Henly, Marcella Rigney; Henly,Neil;

View of ski lift at Mount Rainier.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Ski lifts; Skiing--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Mount Rainier from Stadium Way at 9 a.m., Studio. An elevated view over the railroad tracks on the west side of City Waterway and the industrial tideflats of Tacoma of Mount Rainier. The top of Mount Rainier has disappeared into the cloud ceiling over the area. The 11th Street Bridge over City Waterway is seen on the right. The sun is dim behind the thick cloud cover on this late autumn scene. TPL-9108

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Cityscapes; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); City Waterway (Tacoma); Waterfronts; Clouds; Autumn--Tacoma;

In July the choices of activities at Paradise Lodge at Mount Rainier have increased since the summer sun has melted the snow from around the lodge. Would you rather ski or sun bathe like these young women wearing their bathing suits? Or ride horseback across the show fields? TPL-3665

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Snow; Skiers; Bathing suits; Horseback riding;