Stone benches flank the war memorial at Mountain View Memorial Park in a December 12, 1955, photograph. There is a plot of freshly trimmed lawn before the memorial which is framed behind the stone perimeters. The war memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the men and women who served in our nation's armed forces. Mountain View Memorial Park was located on Steilacoom Blvd. in Lakewood and contained a funeral home, cemetery, mausoleum, columbarium, crematory, and chapel. Photograph ordered by Clark Richardson Advertising Agency.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood;

Panoramic view from home; ordered by Mrs. Ed Geddes. The 1956 City Directory lists Edward & Allie Geddes as residing at 3404 No. Union Ave. Mr. Geddes worked for Weyerhauser. In the photograph, Mt. Rainier can be seen over the top of a hill covered with larger homes.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Memorial Day Service at the Veterans Memorial at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood. A row of chairs have been set in front of the servicemen's memorial for the service. Flags flap in the breeze, mounted all around the drive. More than 80 veterans organizations participated in this observation. Supreme Court Judge Hugh Rosellini and Senator Warren Magnuson were the featured speakers. (TNT 5/30/1956, pg. 1)

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood; Memorial Day; Commemoration--Lakewood; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Lakewood;

Sailors, officers and a man in a suit pose prior to Memorial Day services at Mountain View Memorial Park. More than eighty veterans organizations were scheduled to join in this memorial observation at Mountain View. Supreme Court Judge Hugh Rosellini and Senator Warren Magnuson were scheduled to speak. (TNT 5/30/1956, pg. 1)

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood; Memorial Day; Commemoration--Lakewood; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Lakewood;

Exterior view of mausoleum. In the mid-50's, the Mountain View Memorial Park added a Garden Mausoleum. With the addition of the mausoleum, their facilities were complete for all kinds of interment; a customer could now choose between earth or crypt burial and cremation. The one-story Garden Mausoleum appeared to be built of stone and brick with a flat, overhanging roof. Photograph ordered by Clark Richardson Advertising.

Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Cemeteries--Lakewood; Tombs & sepulchral monuments--Lakewood;

Close-up view of mausoleum as seen in March of 1957. The Garden Mausoleum was the Mountain View Memorial Park's latest addition. Mountain View Memorial's claim was "Everything in one place"; it combined a funeral home, cemetery, crematory, mausoleum, chapel and columbarium into one facility. The overhanging flat roof of the mausoleum provided shelter from harsh Northwest elements. Stone benches were available for mourners. Small metal vases were provided where flowers could be left to honor the deceased. Photograph ordered by Clark Richardson Advertising.

Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Cemeteries--Lakewood; Tombs & sepulchral monuments--Lakewood;

On Monday May 30, 1955, Mrs. Gundrun Paetz, president of the Gold Star Mothers, placed a wreath at the base of a memorial to servicemen at the Mountain View Memorial Park as part of a special Memorial Day service. Observing the wreath laying ceremony are Superior Court Judge Frank Hale (left), serving as master of ceremonies, and State Senator Albert D. Rosellini, speaker for the event. Several veterans organizations participated in the Memorial Day rites held at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day at Mountain View. The 534th Air Force Band provided accompaniment. (TNT 5/31/1955, pg. 1 & 5/29/1955, pg. 1)

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood; Memorial Day; Commemoration--Lakewood; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Lakewood; Paetz, Gundrun; Hale, Frank; Rosellini, Albert D.;

Masonic memorial at Mountain View Memorial Park. Masonic symbols adorn the memorial and it is inscribed with the virtues of brotherly love, relief, truth, fortitude and prudence. This is possibly a portion of the cemetary set aside for members of Masonic organizations to be buried.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Young sunbathers take advantage of a sunny day to enjoy themselves at Owen Beach in 1971. This group apparently utilized picnic tables and the pavement to get tans. Judging from the number of empty tables, however, it appears that the girls did not deprive others from the tables' more traditional use.

Beaches--Tacoma; Owen Beach (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Sunbathing--Tacoma;

ca. 1971. 1971 color Richards stock footage. This is believed to be the Valley Chapel at the Mountain View Memorial Park on Steilacoom Blvd. A convoy of Cadillacs have pulled up next to the manicured lawns of the cemetery. In the distance are groups of mourners.

Cemeteries; Cadillac automobile;

Owen Beach. Owen Beach, located in Point Defiance Park, was as popular in 1969 as it is today in 2006. Local residents could stroll on the beach, dip their toes in icy waters, or simply bask in the sun. A favorite pastime may have been watching sailboats in the bay. The park is named after longtime Metro Parks employee Floyd E. Owen. Photograph ordered by Geoduck Publishing Co.

Beaches--Tacoma; Owen Beach (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Aerial views;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. A mounted cannon faces several reconstructed buildings in Fort Nisqually ca. 1971. They are believed to be (L-R) Storehouse #2, the Granary, and the Hudson's Bay Co. store. The tip of the fort's bastion can be spotted in the photograph's background. The fort was moved from its original location near DuPont and restored inside Point Defiance Park in 1934. It is now operated as a Living History Museum by Metro Parks of Tacoma. (www.fortnisqually.org/history) TPL-2371

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

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Never Never Land inside Point Defiance Park. Humpty Dumpty welcomes a small family to Never Never Land in 1971 where nursery rhymes characters were artfully incorporated into the wooded area. Never Never Land first opened in 1964. Age, weather damage and vandalism sadly took its toll on the displays as decades passed. In July of 2004, Never Never Land was reopened as a family picnic and play area. Humpty still is present on his stack of books to greet visitors and several of the structures also remain. The one-half mile trail meandering through the forest has been renovated for easier walking. (www.metroparkstacoma.org) TPL-8002

Parks--Tacoma--1970-1980; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Never Never Land (Tacoma);

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. A woman wearing summer attire takes a stroll in the Point Defiance Rose Garden. She has picked a prime time to view the delicate red and white blossoms. Point Defiance Park has more than an acre of rose gardens, the oldest of which was established in 1895. The summer months of June through September showcase the flowering of 1500 rose bushes. (www.metroparkstacoma.org)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Roses--Tacoma;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Some of the prime attractions at the Point Defiance Zoo are the frisky sea otters and harbor seals. Both young and older visitors to the Zoo appear to enjoy the antics of these marine animals. Even those basking in the sun receive the visitors' attention.

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Aquariums--Tacoma;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Two inhabitants of the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium bask in Tacoma's sun while the subject of many admiring eyes. The Zoo had several seals and sea otters who attracted many visitors.

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Aquariums--Tacoma;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. View of elephant cage taken from a hillside within Point Defiance Park. Elephants were a major attraction at the zoo; a large group of visitors stop to get a close-up experience.

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Elephants; Zoo animals--Tacoma;

Francis F. Thompson, post chaplain of the Grand Army of the Republic, Custer Post, shares a moment of prayer over the Oakwood Cemetery gravesite of an Army veteran with Custer Post patriotic instructor Charles "C.A." Cavender and Cavender's great-grandson, Tilford Gribble to commemorate Memorial Day, 1926. The young Tilford Gribble is solemnly placing an arrangement of roses at one of the headstones while Chaplain Thompson doffs his hat. The men felt it important that the younger generations remember the sacrifices that were made in the name of freedom. TPL-539 (TNT 5-31-26, p.1)

Parked in front of the Nereides Baths at Point Defiance Park in early September of 1918 was a Western Logging Company truck with a long pipe as cargo. The Nereides Baths opened in 1906 on a bluff above the boathouse. It had been designed by prominent Tacoma architect Frederick Heath and was constructed of logs, resembling a Swiss chalet. The pavilion had an indoor heated saltwater pool, the first indoor swimming pool in Tacoma. Swimmers rented gray cotton suits to frolic in the 80 degree water. The gray suits were required because the owners feared that colors would run and dye the water. "Admission to spectators" was listed as 10 cents in 1918. The baths were demolished in 1932. (thenewstribune.com, metroparkstacoma.org) G41.1-040, TPL-2799

Nereides Baths (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1910-1920; Pipes (Conduits)--Tacoma; Western Logging Co.;

With the Puget Sound as a backdrop, opening ceremonies for Camp Standby were held at Dash Point on June 20, 1919. Camp Standby was established for the girls of various War Camp Community Service Clubs to let them experience the great outdoors. The WCCS was formed in 1917 to organize recreational and social activities where servicemen and women could spend off duty time together. Major General W.H. Johnston delivered an address at the opening, praising the women of the WCCS for helping sustain morale during the Great War. Camp Standby could be accessed by dirt road or boat, the Chickawanna, enabling girls to live there during the summer and yet commute to work in the City. The tents, which could accommodate 50 girls, were divided into two company streets. They all faced the water. Activities offered included boating, swimming, dancing, tennis, baseball and volleyball. (TDL 6/19/1919, pg. 3; TNT 6-21-19, p. 7-article) G71.1-189

Camp Standby (Dash Point); Tents; Camping; War Camp Community Service (Tacoma);

1923 view of the Point Defiance Pagoda, then a streetcar depot. Its ornate, Japanese-styled roof, brick exterior, and view windows made the building a pleasant stopping point for park visitors. The convenience of streetcars to Point Defiance Park gave people the option of leaving their cars at home and enjoying the scenic route without the problems of driving. TPL-2360

Point Defiance Pagoda (Tacoma);

On February 7, 1927, snow-capped Mount Tacoma (Rainier) is in stark contrast with the blackened fire damaged terrain below. This unidentified section of forest has been ravaged by flames leaving leafless branches and spindly reminders of trees. Photograph ordered by Cascade Lumber Co. G76.1-110

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Forest fires;

Jeff, a tiny ringtailed monkey, tips the scales at three pounds as he is being weighed in late November of 1927 at the Point Defiance Zoo. His keeper and "chef," Oscar M. Olson, stated that "Jeff" had gained three ounces over Thanksgiving so needed to go on a diet. Mr. Olson's unusual job as "chef" to the zoo's 17 monkeys and assorted inhabitants landed him on the front page of the November 26th News Tribune as #11 in "Tacoma's Strangest Jobs." The carefully monitored diet of his clientele included hothouse lettuce, tomatoes, raisin bread, Gig Harbor and Wenatchee apples, Yakima and Tacoma potatoes. Besides the monkeys, Mr. Olson also was in charge of the diets of the zoo's bears, deer, elk and buffalo. G68.1-169 (TNT 11-26-27, p. 1)

Olson, Oscar M.; Monkeys; Scales; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma);

Boland Studios took a series of photographs on August 25, 1929, of Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) from the viewpoint of Tipsoe Lake. This particular view shows trees thickly massed and craggy peaks. G76.1-118

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

ca. 1900. A bicycle leans against a young sapling at the north entrance to Wright Park in this photograph from around 1900. The road curving through the park is Yakima Avenue, which was closed to traffic by the Metropolitan Park Board in 1922. The two "dancing maidens" that stand at either side of the entrance were purchased by Clinton P. Ferry, the "Duke of Tacoma", in Brussels and presented to the city in 1891. Somewhat worse for wear after over 100 years, they still stand at the north end of the park. The tower at the far left is the tower on the old Pierce County Court House which stood at 1012 South G Street. (This image appears on the reverse of BU-10705)

Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910; Wright Park (Tacoma); Sculpture--Tacoma;

The spring tournament of the Northwest Lawn Bowling Association was held in Wright Park May 30 through June 2, 1946. Mr. & Mrs. Charles Wood of Vancouver, B.C. dominated the tournament. Mr. Wood defeated George Wilkinson in the final of the men's event, and Mrs. Wood defeated Mrs. Lew Thomas of Tacoma to take the ladies title. (TNT 06/03/1946 p.7)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Lawn Bowling--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northwest Lawn Bowling Association;

Opening of visitor's center on Mt. Rainier. Senator Henry Jackson, a principal speaker at the September 3, 1966, event, is being interviewed while seated on a rock buttress. The dedication drew a large crowd of visitors and dignitaries, including the senator, Congressman Floyd Hicks, Director of the National Park Service George B. Hartzog, Jr., and Tacoma city manager, David Rowlands. The visitors center would later be renamed in honor of Senator Jackson. (TNT 9-4-66, p. 1-article; TNT 9-4-66 magazine p. 8, p. 17-articles)

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Visitors' centers; Jackson, Henry M., 1912-1983; Legislators--Washington--1960-1970; Interviews;

Miss Alaska, Nina Whaley, visited the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium on May 19, 1964, as part of a busy schedule promoting Alaska's summer tourist season. She is pictured above (center with large purse) smiling as she gazes at the outdoor seal and otter exhibit. TRUEBLOOD 1064

Whaley, Nina; Beauty contestants; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Aquariums--Tacoma;

This seal has scrambled out of the water in order to grab a tasty snack from visiting Alaskans, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Seveck and Nina Whaley, reigning Miss Alaska (far right). The trio were personal representatives of Alaska governor William Egan who traveled to Tacoma to aid Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce campaign to promote Alaska's tourist industry. The Sevecks were professional entertainers and guides. TRUEBLOOD 1064 (TNT 5-21-64, B-4)

Whaley, Nina; Beauty contestants; Seveck, Chester; Seveck, Chester--Family; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Aquariums--Tacoma; Seals (Animals);

ca. 1909. A view of the buildings at Longmire Springs in Mount Rainier National Park in 1909. Several rustic wooden buildings are shown along with a number of tents. From the collection of Don Cooper.

Longmire Springs (Washington); Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Tents