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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)
Quantity
1.2 cubic feet, (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.
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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 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.

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Content Description

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.

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Use of the Collection

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.

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Administrative Information

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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

  • 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

Finding aid prepared by Janet Ness
2011

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

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