Archives West Finding Aid
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Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Fort Lawton History Collection, 1862-1995
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle (Wash). Dept. of Parks and Recreation
- Title
- Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Fort Lawton History Collection
- Dates
- 1862-1995 (inclusive)18621995
- Quantity
- 1 cubic foot, (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 5801-04
- Summary
- Documents concerning the history of Fort Lawton and a reminiscence of a World War II German POW.
- 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
- Sponsor
- Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
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 1902 the City hired the Olmsted Brothers, the country's premier landscape architectural firm, to design a parks and boulevards system. Although not all of the plan was implemented, the Olmsted legacy is evident in many of Seattle's parks and boulevards. The City acquired significant amounts of property for park purposes following the turn of the 20th Century, but in 1926 further acquisition was limited by a City Charter amendment that stipulated only money in the Park Fund could be used for that purpose. However, in the 1970s the Forward Thrust Bond issue, along with federal grants and the Seattle Model City Program, supported the largest expansion of the Park system in Seattle history. These programs funded more than 70 new parks and park facilities. The Department manages over 6,000 acres of park land, over two dozen community centers, five municipal golf courses, the Aquarium, and many other recreational and athletic facilities.
534-acre Discovery Park occupies the northwestern part of Magnolia Bluff. The site was originally selected for the construction of an artillery battery in the late 1890s. Fort Lawton opened in 1900 and was soon converted to infantry use. During World War II the fort saw active duty as a staging center and prisoner of war camp, but was underused after the war. By the 1970s, much of the fort's land was turned over to the City of Seattle to become Discovery Park. The best preserved collection of early Fort Lawton buildings was declared a landmark district in 1988. Discovery Park is also home to a Native American center, the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, which opened in 1977.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Copies of historical documents from the National Archives and other sources concerning the establishment and history of Fort Lawton. Also included is a written reminiscence by a former German POW who was incarcerated at Fort Lawton during World War II, together with copies of photographs taken during his incarceration.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Fort Lawton History Collection , Record Series 5801-04. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
5801-04: Fort Lawton History Collection , 1862-1995Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Wilhelm Muller Reminiscence
re Fort Lawton, Including Letters |
1946-1987 |
1/2 | Wilhelm Muller's Photographs
(Copies) |
1943-1947 |
1/3 | Letter, Edward J. Phillips,
Fort Lawton, to Corpl H.C. Bush |
1903 |
1/4 | Letter From Lacey Historical
Museum |
1995 |
1/5 | Letter, William H. Freeman to
Fred Mann |
1976 |
1/6 | War Department Documents re
Fort Lawton (NARA Copies) |
1886-1895 |
1/7 | War Department Documents re
Fort Lawton (NARA Copies) |
1896 |
1/8 | War Department Documents re
Fort Lawton (NARA Copies) |
1897 |
1/9 | War Department Documents re
Fort Lawton (NARA Copies) |
1898 |
1/10 | War Department Documents re
Fort Lawton (NARA Copies) |
1900-1916 |
1/11 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) - Exposed Points On Frontier |
1862 |
1/12 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) - Fortifications Of Puget Sound |
1888 |
1/13 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) - Otis Report |
1895 |
1/14 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) |
1885-1886 |
1/15 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) |
1894-1895 |
1/16 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) |
1896 |
1/17 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) |
1897 |
1/18 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) |
1898 |
2/1 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) |
1900-1916 |
2/2 | Fort Lawton Army Documents
(Copies) - Annual Report, Secretary of War |
1894-1916 |
2/3 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Seattle Chamber of Commerce |
1886 |
2/4 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Seattle Chamber of Commerce Minutes |
1894-1899 |
2/5 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Army Post Fund Cash Book |
1896-1897 |
2/6 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Miscellaneous Army Correspondence |
1898-1912 |
2/7 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- General Land Office Field Notes |
1886 |
2/8 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Title Information |
1890-1896 |
2/9 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- USCGS Descriptive Report, Shilshole Bay to Alki Point |
1899 |
2/10 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Report On Grounds |
1907 |
2/11 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Chittenden |
1980-1908 |
2/12 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Olmsted, John C. |
1910 |
2/13 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Army Judge Advocate General re Title, Jurisdiction |
1907 |
2/14 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Post Description |
1900 |
2/15 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- History |
1909 |
2/16 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Margaret Strachan Manuscript |
undated |
2/17 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Lawrence L. Pike History |
1957 |
2/18 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Cowell and Anonymous, Histories |
undated |
2/19 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Walker History |
1970 |
2/20 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Sound Defender, History of Fort Lawton |
1970 |
2/21 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- D. Sherwood Notes and Water Dept. History |
undated |
2/22 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Guides to Fort Lawton |
1926-1963 |
2/23 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Kiley, Park Plan |
1972 |
2/24 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Feasibility Study |
1974 |
2/25 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Fort Lawton, A Record |
undated |
2/26 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- National Register and Site Survey Forms |
1950-1984 |
3/1 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Donald Vorhees, Background Information |
undated |
3/2 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Historic Preservation and Fort Lawton Buildings |
1978 |
3/3 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- League of Women Voters and Magnolia Community Club |
1978 |
3/4 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- Seattle Community Development Comments re Fort Lawton Nomination |
1978 |
3/5 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- NPS Preliminary Case Report |
1978 |
3/6 | Fort Lawton Reports (Copies)
- William H. Freeman Dissertation (Excerpt) |
1974 |
3/7 | Deeds (Copies) |
1897-1898 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Discovery Park (Seattle, Wash.)
- Fort Lawton (Seattle, Wash.)
- World War, 1939-1945 Prisoners and prisons
Corporate Names
- Seattle (Wash). Dept. of Parks and Recreation
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Snapshots