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;

ca. 1936. Point Defiance Zoo aviary. Visitors gathered around aviary to view exotic birds.

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Aviaries--Tacoma;

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. 1936. Scenic view of Puget Sound at Point Defiance, circa 1936. A small row boat cuts through the water in the foreground. In the background, more row boats, a ferry, Pt. Defiance boat house, smelter stack and Mount Rainier. Stock negative taken from ferry.

Commencement Bay (Wash.); Rowboats--Tacoma; Ferries--Tacoma; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

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;

ca. 1936. Point Defiance Park. The entrance bowl at the park with lawn, trees, roads and paths surrounding a lake. Automobiles are parked along the road in the distance. Stock negative.

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma; Lakes & ponds--Tacoma;

Reprint of flag raising at the original dedication of the reconstructed Fort Nisqually September 3, 1934. The original fort was located near DuPont, Wa. When the Hudson's Bay Co. moved out, it passed into the possession of the US government and the Fort deteriorated. When the land was purchased as the site of the Nisqually powder plant, the buildings were offered free to anyone who would move them. The Young Men's Business Club made it their project and eventually obtained a site on a bluff in Pt. Defiance and had the buildings moved. Ordered for Canadian paper by Al Gehri, one of the original architects.

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Hudson's Bay Co. (Tacoma); Frontier & pioneer life--Tacoma; Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Trading posts--Tacoma;

Reprint of the reconstructed Fort Nisqually as it looked for the September 3, 1934 dedication. Located left to right are Storehouse #2, the Granary and the company store, with the Bastion behind. On the right side of the picture is the Factor's house. The Granary and the Factor's house are original structures from the Fort. The other buildings were recreated, as much as possible, from the timbers of the original fort. Ordered for Canadian paper. Al Gehri.

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Hudson's Bay Co. (Tacoma); Frontier & pioneer life--Tacoma; Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Trading posts--Tacoma;

In July of 1937, Fort Nisqually's watch tower was photographed standing at the corner of the compound overlooking Puget Sound. The tower was one of two reconstructed bastions at Fort Nisqually, a Hudson's Bay Company fort built near DuPont and relocated in Point Defiance Park. Ordered for Canadian paper, Al Gehri. TPL-2370

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Hudson's Bay Co. (Tacoma); Frontier & pioneer life--Tacoma; Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Trading posts--Tacoma;

Tacoma Girl Scouts enjoyed summers at day camps held three times a week at Puget Park and Lincoln Park. Often accompanying the girls were tag-alongs, sons and younger children of adult volunteers. A group of youngsters sunbathe on the lawn next to the pool at Lincoln Park. Parents bask in the afternoon sun as chaperones. The camps would supply summer fun for hundreds of children in the Tacoma area. (T. Times, 7/12/1938, p. 1)

Lincoln Park (Tacoma); Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Camps--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Summer day camps, hosted by the Tacoma Girl Scout Council, attracted children to the Lincoln Park pool. A large group of children wearing swimsuits squeal as Donny O'Conner splashes them with water. The Girl Scout Day Camps were held three days a week for the past several weeks at Puget and Lincoln Parks. Several hundred children participated. (T. Times, 7/12/1938, p. 1).

Lincoln Park (Tacoma); Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Camps--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children playing in water; Pools; O'Conner, Donny;

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;

Girl Scout Day Camps included outdoor summer activities like volleyball. In July of 1938, day camps sponsored by the Tacoma Girl Scout Council were held three days a week at Puget and Lincoln Parks. In this photograph eight girls participate in a volleyball game. Tennis courts and trees in dot the background at Lincoln Park. (T. Times, 7/12/1938, p. 1).

Lincoln Park (Tacoma); Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Camps--Tacoma--1930-1940; Volleyball; Children playing outdoors; Sports; Playgrounds--Tacoma--1930-1940;

The Tacoma Times - Park District Bicycle Contest was held at the end of July and in early August 1938. To compete in the final events held in the Stadium Bowl on August 5th, boys and girls first had to compete in one of the District preliminary contests held throughout Tacoma. This unidentified young man is competing in one of the obstacle races, probably in the District 1 meet held at North 9th and Monroe next to Jefferson Park.

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Jefferson Park (Tacoma); Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma; Children riding bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma;

The second day of preliminaries for the Tacoma Times/Metropolitan Parks bicycle races was held on Friday, July 29, 1938 at Wright Park, South 5th and I streets. District No. 2 included Wright, Central, and Ferry playgrounds. Sideline crowds of children cheer as boy lifts bicycle over wooden hurdle.

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Wright Park (Tacoma); Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma; Children riding bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma;

A lone Grizzly bear imported from Yellowstone National Park lies resting on a bare wooden platform in a man-made, stone cave at Point Defiance Zoo. The young female cub was brought in to replace the bear that escaped from the zoo in July of 1937 and was never found. If she looks a little lonely, it is because her intended mate broke out two weeks ago, June 12 or 13th, and has not been found. He went over the wall of the pen leaving only some hide and hair on the prongs designed to keep him in. He was recovered July 3rd in the park. (T. Times 6/14/1938, pg. 1; 6/27/1938, pg. 3; 7/4/1938, pg. 1)

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

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;

Zoo workers prepare to open the sturdy wooden crate containing the Yellowstone Park grizzly bear. The crate has been moved as close to the cave opening as possible to allow safe release of the wild bear. The 2 year old female cub was intended to replace the bear that escaped in 1937 and was never recovered. (T. Times 6/27/1838, 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;

Opening of Wapato Park. Automobiles line the gravel roadway bordering the park. People enjoy strolling and sitting under the fir trees in the park.

Wapato Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Opening of Wapato Park in June of 1938. Park visitors stroll along gravel paths to reach the lake where crowds have gathered at the lake's edge. The park is located in the city's south end, and encompasses roughly the area from South 72nd to South 64th and from Sheridan Avenue to Alaska Street.

Wapato Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940; Wapato Lake (Tacoma);

A boy is playing on the beach at Point Defiance with a girl who is wearing a dress, sandals, and ribbon in her hair. She is pouring water from a Snow White watering can into a decorated bucket. The young boy is identified as the son of Margaret Russell Herrod. This photograph is a cropped version of D8433 image 3. TPL-9163

Beaches--Tacoma; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Children playing in sand--Tacoma; Herrod, Margaret Russell--Family;

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;

Just the top of the lodge, with its extending waving flag and pole, can be seen above the Spring snow pack at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park. The occasion of the photograph is "Bremerton Day" at Mount Rainier.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Snow;

Four women and one man salute the camera from their perch on a long toboggan at "Bremerton Day" at Paradise, Mount Rainier in March of 1939. They are enjoying the deep snow on this early spring day.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Winter sports; Snow; Sleds & sleighs; Toboggans;

This view of the Pond Garden in "The Bowl" at Point Defiance Park, taken in June of 1939, is from just southwest of the park entrance looking northeast. Vashon Island can be seen in the distance through the trees. Originally a U.S. military reservation, Tacoma was given permission to develop the land into a park in 1888. The south end of the park was first transformed into formal gardens under the direction of E. R. Roberts.

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

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;

Unveiling of the Fort Nisqually monument at its dedication at Point Defiance Park. Group of approximately 30 men, women, and one girl wearing period costumes, circa 1840's, watching YMBC Airshow Princess Kathryn Hurley unveil the rock monument with its memorial plaque. The monument is being dedicated in conjunction with the Washington State Jubilee. It commemorates the establishment of the original fort and its reconstruction by the YMBC. (T. Times 7/21/1939, pg. 14)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Dedication of Fort Nisqually monument at Point Defiance Park. Group of approximately 30 men, women, and one girl wearing period costumes, circa 1840's. The woman to the left in modern dress is Miss Kathryn Hurley, Jubilee princess of the YMBC air show, who unveiled the monument. The monument recognizes the establishment of the original fort in 1833 and its reconstruction in 1934 by the YMBC. It is the first step in further development of the historic site. (T. Times 7/21/1939, pg. 14)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940;

On July 20, 1939, the Fort Nisqually monument was dedicated at Point Defiance Park. The monument recognized the establishment of the original fort in 1833 and its reconstruction in 1934 by the YMBC. Posed behind the rock with its memorial plaque and wearing 1840's costumes were, left to right, W. P. Bonney (secretary of the Washington State Historical Society); Mrs. P.H. Crothers; Marilyn Crothers (the young girl posing beside the monument); Mrs. N.A. Harris; Mrs. George Gilbert; Eva Bigelow (Mrs. W. P.) Bonney; Mrs. J. H. Pirtie; Mrs. J.H. McAdams; Mrs. L.J. Mahlberg and Mrs. Van R. Layton. The women were from the Daughters of Pioneers and they were wearing antique dresses from 2-3 generations ago. Marilyn Crothers was attired in her grandmother's "Sunday best" frock. Mrs. Bonney wore a bonnet made by her mother, Mrs. Daniel Bigelow, 3/4 of a century ago. Mrs. Bonney was the daughter of Daniel and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow of Olympia. (T. Times 7/22/1939, pg. 5)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bonney, William P.; Bonney, Eva Bigelow;