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Department of Parks and Recreation Pro Parks Acquisition Open Space Photographs, 1966-2006

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation
Title
Department of Parks and Recreation Pro Parks Acquisition Open Space Photographs
Dates
1966-2006 (inclusive)
Quantity
18 cubic feet, (37 boxes), (17 digital image files)
Collection Number
5811-02
Summary
Photographs documenting the evolution and improvement of more than 100 of Seattle's city parks, community centers, trails, recreation facilities, and sports fields.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the City's parks, shorelines, and boulevards and administers community centers, public golf courses, and other athletic and cultural facilities. Seattle's first park was established in 1884 after David Denny donated land to the City for that purpose. At that time, a three-member park committee, with limited authority, was created to manage the nascent park system. A Board of Parks Commissioners was established in 1890 with control over all public parks and authority to appoint a Parks Superintendent. In 1896, the City Charter created the position of Superintendent of Streets, Sewers and Parks. The Parks Department became a separate entity in 1904. In 1926, a City Charter Amendment abolished the position of Superintendent, distributing its responsibilities between the Head Gardener and the Landscape Architect. A 1948 City Charter amendment required the Board of Park Commissioners to appoint a park superintendent to administer the department. In 1967, another City Charter Amendment reconstituted the Board as an advisory body to the Mayor and City Council, changed the agency name to Department of Parks and Recreation, and placed fiscal and operational administration under the superintendent.

In 1968 Seattle voters approved 7 out of 12 bond issues collectively called the Forward Thrust Bond issue. The approved initiative, Proposition 6, included $118 million for new parks and an aquarium. Along with federal grants and the Seattle Model City Program, the Forward Thrust Bond supported the largest expansion of the Park system in Seattle history. These programs funded more than 70 new parks and park facilities.

In 1990 the Open Space and Trails Program began with $41.8 million from the 1989 King County Open Space and Trails Bond with the mission to preserve open spaces and develop additional miles of multi-use trails. The Open Space program goal was to increase the useable undeveloped environment in the city by acquiring land through purchase, transfer, or donation to preserve as greenbelts, natural areas, recreation areas, and trails.

In 1999, Seattle voters approved a renewal of the 1991 Community Centers and Seattle Center Levy, renewing Seattle Parks and Recreation’s commitment to renovate and expand old facilities and provide new centers.

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Content Description

This collection dates from the late 1960's through 2006. Photographs in this collection represent nearly 100 of Seattle's city parks, community centers, sports fields and natural areas from pre-construction and development through construction and dedication. Documented are the activities and projects of several city and publicly-funded programs: the 1968 Forward Thrust program, the 1990 Open Space program, the 1991 (renewed in 1999) Community Center Levy program, and the 2000 Pro Parks Levy program. Subjects include: undeveloped sites, construction, including volunteer work parties, finished parks, groundbreakings and events with groups of people, sometimes including government officials such as Councilmembers, Governor Gary Locke, and Mayor Norm Rice. Included as well are photographs documenting Open Space Fund Tours, Opportunity Fund Tours and Neighborhood Matching Fund awards events. The format of this collection consists of small and large prints, slides, various size negatives, photograph CDs and two video tapes. There is also one box of textual materials, consisting mostly of drawings and plans. There is some overlap among the media. Many of the prints, negatives and slides are undated. The collection is organized by name of park or natural area, sometimes by street address or general location. See below for the folder list. Boxes 1-27 consist of mostly pre-1990 prints. Boxes 28-35 consist of mostly post-1990 prints. Boxes 36-49 consist of slides, negatives and multi-media dated from the 1960s to 2006. View 5811-02 online

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Title of image, date. Item number.] Pro Parks Acquisition Open Space Photographs, Record Series 5811-02. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one series. All dates included in the folder list were recorded from hand written information on prints, print folders, and negative sleeves. Included are a Paper Volume, containing textual material pulled from the collection throughout the organization process, and a Transparency Volume, containing negatives and slides removed from the print collection and housed separately. Also included is a box of Photograph CDs, it is noted in the folder list where they correspond to prints.

Negative numbers from the corresponding Engineering Department negative collection are displayed in the online folder list. Also, accession numbers are displayed in the online folder list. Images are not displayed online in the Photograph Index.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Bicycle trails--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Community centers--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Forward Thrust (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Parks--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Playgrounds--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Seattle Aquarium
  • Woodland Park Zoo

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs

Finding aid prepared by Julie Viggiano
2008

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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