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. Men are pictured grading on site with the help of shovels and a bulldozer. The land for the park had originally been purchased in increments in the early 1920s and "Jefferson" selected as the park's name in 1924. The finished park was finally dedicated in November, 1937, as a center for recreation for the growing neighborhood. (filed with Argentum)

Jefferson Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bulldozers;

On July 13, 1937, volunteers Howard Bjorklund and "Happy" Logue, with high-powered rifles, tracked a missing grizzly bear through ferns and underbrush in the woods by Point Defiance Park. The two-year-old, 600 pound bear arrived in Tacoma from Yellowstone National Park on July 5th. It had apparently escaped from its cage at the zoo early Tuesday morning, July 13th. The gate to the cage was padlocked and there were no signs of tampering with the cage or gate. Park officials, fearing panic among nearby residents, did not immediately announce the bear's disappearance. Bear tracks were found about one mile from the park's entrance but the bear was never found. (T. Times 7/14/1937, p. 8-article only).

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Grizzly bears; Bjorklund, Howard; Rifles; Hunting--Tacoma;

ca. 1937. Zoo keeper George R. Jones poses with Jocko, a spider monkey from the wilds of South America, at the Point Defiance Zoo. Jocko is an excellent mimic and is sure to delight guests this summer at the zoo. (T. Times 4/13/1937, pg. 1)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals; Monkeys; Jones, George R.; Zoo keepers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1937. Zoo Keeper George Jones feeding Point Defiance Zoo's new attraction, "Jocko" the spider monkey. (T. Times 4/13/1937, pg. 1)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals; Monkeys; Jones, George R.; Zoo keepers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Gilbert McLean, tree surgeon, and Doris Cook, a nurse at Tacoma General Hospital, examining a wind damaged tree in Wright Park. The tree has been sealed and braced with iron rods. McLean, one of the few skilled practitioners of arboriculture in Tacoma, is employed by the Metropolitan Parks District to take care of its ailing trees. He was hired shortly after the disastrous windstorm of October 21, 1934 which destroyed 34 trees in Wright Park alone. McLean has now nursed 12 of them back to health. He is also responsible, along with Superintendent Sherman Ingels, for scientifically labelling the 1200 trees in the Wright Park Arboretum. In his spare time, he also prunes, sprays and trims the trees. (T. Times 11/6/1935, pg. 8)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Trees--Tacoma; McLean, Gilbert; Cook, Doris;

In November of 1935, Gilbert McLean, tree surgeon, and Doris Cook, a nurse at Tacoma General Hospital, compare surgical methods while examining a wind damaged tree in Wright Park. McLean, an arboriculturist with the Metropolitan Park District, worked from 1928- 1932 with the Davey Tree Expert Co. He has treated the damaged tree's cavities with the "Davey System." First, he carefully cleaned the wood around the wound. Then he packed the hole with cement to keep the water out and coated the filling with emulsified asphalt as a preservative. Miss Cook stated that thankfully cement and asphalt were never used in the operating room at TG. (T. Times 11/6/1935, pg. 8)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Trees--Tacoma; McLean, Gilbert; Cook, Doris;

1941 Ski Carnival at Mount Rainier. Queen, Virginia Davis, another young woman and two young men beside fireplace at Paradise Lodge. (T.Times)

National parks & reserves; Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Tacoma Winter Carnival (Tacoma); Fireplaces--Paradise; Davis, Virginia;

Three women, in dresses with long skirts, and a young girl are shown on the porch of "Nisqually House" at Fort Nisqually. They were part of a special ceremony held in February 1941at the reconstructed fort in Point Defiance Park. Representatives from the British Columbia headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Co. presented Fort Nisqually a replica of the flag that had flown over the entrance of the original fort. From left to right are Virginia Davis, Arminda Lou Davis, Arminda Buchanan, and Nellie Harris. They represent four generations of the same family. Arminda Buchanan was born in the Oregon Territory.( T. Times 2-26-1941 p.31)

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

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);

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;

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

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

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;

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;

Aerial view of Point Defiance Park, taken in August of 1948. Point Defiance is the second largest city park in the US, outsized only by New York City's Central Park. It was originally a US military reservation. The city was given permission to develop it into a park in 1888. The "Bowl" area with its pond garden can be seen in the center of the picture. Above and to the left of the pond is a formal rose garden. Another formal garden can be seen beyond, now the location of the Japanese Garden. The ferry dock is at the upper right of the picture, with the boathouse top center. To the left of the Bowl area, and mostly out of camera range, is the zoo.

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

Eight year old Gary Hartloff will get to go back to school on the last week of classes. Gary was hurt while playing with other children at Franklin Park near So. 12th St. and So. Puget Sound, he is the third victim at the park. While playing with friends, a log piled at the top of a small embankment broke loose, the log rolled down and seriously injured his right leg. Gary has been undergoing many weeks of treatment, but will have a full recovery. This area was formerly a children's field, and is now being converted into a commercial softball field (T. Times, 6/8/48, p. 16).

Parks--Tacoma; Franklin Park (Tacoma); Boys--Tacoma; Wounds & injuries--Tacoma; Hartloff, Gary;

One of Cheney Lumber Company's planes is flying east on the south side of Mount Rainier in front of Kautz Glacier. The rainfall had been the lowest in 30 years in 1952 and lower than usual in 1951 making the snowpack much smaller than usual. Cheney Lumber Company used airplanes to facilitate management of mills in Washington, Oregon and California.

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

The group of bricklayers and hod carriers who donated their labor to lay the stones for the Living War Memorial, Memorial Park, are enjoying a break with Olympia beer. The approach to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge can be seen behind them. TPL-8405

Parks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Memorial Park (Tacoma); Bricklayers--Tacoma;

A six-foot square piece of Wilkeson sandstone, natural to Washington state, was used for the plaque which was installed at the site of the Living War Memorial. The plaque is the center of the 20-foot stone monument at the Living War Memorial, Memorial Park, located at the south end of the east approach of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Checking the details of the plans before sand blasting the lettering are Don Wahlstrom, kneeling, and George M. Robinson and his father, Earl M. Robinson. (TNT, 11/2/1952, p.A-15)

Parks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Memorial Park (Tacoma); Monuments & memorials--Tacoma; Wahlstrom, Don; Robinson, George M.; Robinson, Earl M.;

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;

Cyclone fence surrounding Engine # 1364 on display at Point Defiance Park. In 1868, the US government claimed Point Defiance as a military reservation. The land laid unused for 20 years until 1888, when Congress allowed the land to be turned into a park. In 1905, Tacoma gained full control of the park with the military only reserving the right to repossess in a national emergency. From the beginning, the park was developed in a manner that would preserve its natural state while accommodating the public. The park saw an influx of federal funds and work force through the projects of the 30's. Point Defiance received this 1902 series locomotive from the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Railroad locomotives;

Aerial view of Tacoma, downtown buildings and Eleventh street bridge with waterways and Tideflats beyond the city and Mt. Rainier in the background. The view is looking Northeast from approximately 8th and Tacoma Ave. S. TPL-5875

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Cityscapes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma looking Northeast from the Medical Arts building with waterways and Tideflats beyond the city and Mt. Rainier in the background.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Cityscapes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1953. Logs are in the process of being loaded onto a Ludtke Company truck during a logging operation on Mount Rainier. Branches have already been removed from the trees and logs previously cut into manageable sections. One man stands on the truck's bed to maneuver the massive logs into place in this 1953 photograph.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Lumber industry; Logs;

The dedication of Tacoma's War Memorial Park, located at the south end of the east approach of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, took place on Armistice Day 1952. The 2 1/2 - acre park was built with volunteer labor from materials donated by the businesses, clubs, and citizens of Tacoma/Pierce County. Among those who generously donated to the creation of the park were Puyallup valley farmers who donated 15,000 flower bulbs; the Cascade Pole Company which donated an 80 ft. flagpole; and the Tacoma Bricklayers and Hod Carriers' Union that built the 20 ft. stone monument on their own time. A plaque on the wall stated: "Dedicated in honored memory of those who gave their lives for our country". In February of 2003 the park was demolished to make way for the new Narrows Bridge.

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