Scenery around Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, as viewed on June 14, 1931. Bowen # 310-232

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, as photographed on June 14, 1931. There is a wide path or roadway next to the placid waters. Bowen # 310-233.

Point Defiance Park in June of 1931, showing lake. Bowen #310-246

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, taken in June of 1931. Bowen # 310-231

Copy negative of a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Co. 3224, at "Camp Point Defiance," photograph taken on November 28, 1937. The photo was taken at the restored Fort Nisqually at Pt. Defiance, which was opened in 1934. In the background was the fence and the bastion. The photo of the CCC boys was surrounded by smaller images of Tacoma. At the bottom was a city view labeled, "Tacoma-Lumber Capital of America." The CCC camp at Point Defiance was built on a flat area just below and to the south of the reconstructed Ft. Nisqually in the park, and was home to some 155 workers. The CCC was formed in 1933 by President F.D. Roosevelt. It was composed mainly of young unemployed men, 18-25 years old, some away from home for the first time. Their work detail consisted of clearing brush and timber in the park and building roads, trails and structures.

Exterior of the Granary at Fort Nisqually, Pt. Defiance Park, as it appeared on February 25, 1941. 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. Photograph ordered by W.P. Bonney.

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 Richards color stock footage. Some sunbathers apparently found it more comfortable lying on picnic tables and pavement at Point Defiance's Owen Beach than the somewhat rocky shoreline. Other beach visitors used the picnic tables in a more traditional manner. Not many seemed inclined to dip their toes into the frigid waters of Puget Sound.

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

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. 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);

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;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Seals and sea otters attracted many to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in 1971. The head of one marine animal barely breaks the surface of the water much to the delight of the zoo's visitors. Other inhabitants of the pool may be beyond the photographer's sightlines as one visitor points outwardly.

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

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. It looks like it is summer and children are flocking to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for a joyful day. Several youngsters wait by the entrance to the Aquarium while others look at outdoor exhibits.

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

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. A little girl gets a friendly greeting from Point Defiance Zoo's elephant in 1971, much to the delight of her accompanying family. The elephant's affable behavior may have been prompted by the suggestion of a bag full of peanuts carried by the small child. The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium was founded in 1905. It is located on 29 acres inside the 700-acre Point Defiance Park. (www.pdza.org)

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

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. A couple, wearing broad brimmed hats to protect themselves against the summer sun, relax at Wright Park while also apparently keeping an eye out for the small youngsters in the park's wading pool. Nearly half of the pool is in the shade, due to the many trees nearby.

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Stooping in a small field of daffodils at Wright Park are several children on April 4, 1968. Baskets in the hands of some indicate that they may be practicing for the upcoming Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Hilltop Multi-Service Center. At least 500 children were expected to attend the traditional scramble for eggs. 8000 eggs would be hidden; 5000 of them donated by the League of Women Voters. Transportation would be available at the Hilltop Center for children wanting to attend. Photograph ordered by Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development, Inc. (TNT 4-7-68, A-16, TNT 4-11-68, B-14)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Daffodils--Tacoma; Children--Tacoma--1960-1970; Easter egg hunts--Tacoma;

McCarver second grader Debbie White (left), Central first grader Wendy Wright and McCarver sixth grader Floyd Franklin were photographed in 1968 holding the three bunnies that were given as special prizes at the Easter egg party that was held in Wright Park on the Friday before Easter. The Hilltop Multi-Service Center sponsored the giant Easter egg hunt. Over 500 children were expected to take part in the fun. Besides regular decorated hardboiled eggs, there were also special gold, brown and silver eggs that contained gift certificates and other goodies. (Photograph ordered by Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development, Inc.) (TNT 4-7-68, A-16)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Rabbits--Washington; Baby animals--Tacoma; Children--Tacoma--1960-1970; White, Debbie; Wright, Wendy; Franklin, Floyd;

This is how Owen Beach at Point Defiance looked from the air on July 1, 1969. The beach fronting Commencement Bay was named after Floyd E. Owen, a Metro Parks employee for 47 years. There is a marker, a bronze tablet placed on a stone upright near the entrance to the picnic area of the beach. There was plenty of room for more people to bask on the sands of Owen Beach as it appeared relatively uncrowded on this summer day. The parking lot, however, seemed almost full.

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

ca. 1969. 1969 Richards stock footage. Aerial photograph of boathouse and assorted buildings at Point Defiance Park, located on the northeast side of the 702-acre park. Boats and motors could be rented for a day's cruise on the calm waters of Commencement Bay or for fishing and crabbing. The boathouse shown above burned down in a 1984 fire and was rebuilt several years later. TPL-9306

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

ca. 1969. 1969 Richards stock footage. Aerial view of boathouse and vicinity at Point Defiance Park in 1969. The above boathouse, built in 1944, was a replacement for the original boathouse pavilion of the early 1900's. It would burn down in 1984 and a new Boathouse Marina constructed a few years later. The Asian-styled building in the right corner was originally the street car station; is now better known as the Point Defiance Pagoda, scene of many weddings. (www.metroparkstacoma.org)

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

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;

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.);

1956 Richards Studio stock footage. A man in a cowboy hat leans against a split rail fence dwarfed by the awesome bulk of Mt. Rainier in the background. The snow covered mountain looms over the pastureland, forming the perfect backdrop for this picture.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Fences;

Snow plows have cleared one of the roads at Mount Rainier National Park, banking it higher than the roof of the Richards paneled station wagon at the side of the road. The surrounding trees appear to be dead, possibly from the Kautz Creek flood.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Snow; Roads;

1956 Stock footage, Richards Studio, scenic views. Majestic Mount Rainier towers over the fertile valleys surrounding it. The valley is patchworked with fences separating the livestock and dotted with barns. Tall evergreens line the hills on both sides of the valley.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Valleys--Washington; Livestock; Agriculture;

In August of 1955, two unidentified young girls were photographed as they gazed up at Northern Pacific Engine No. 1364 at Point Defiance Park. The 4-6-0 type engine was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1902, and for the first 25 years of its service it was used to assist the North Coast Limited over the Cascades. It was retired in 1953 and donated by the Northern Pacific Railroad to the Metropolitan Park Board. It was on display on a specially installed section of track just south of Funland at Point Defiance from 1954 to the mid-1970s. The Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Association is refurbishing the antique engine in Toppenish. (TNT 1/27/1954, pg. 11 & Toppenish Review 8/8/2001)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Railroad locomotives;