WaSMAR5808_02 Guide to the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation South Division Director's Records 1994-2002 Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation South Division Director's Records Finding aid prepared by Janet Ness Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Seattle Municipal Archives © 2011
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
Finding aid encoded by Janet Ness 2011 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
5808-02 Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation South Division Director's Records 1994-2002 1.8 cubic feet 5 boxes Records concerning parks and playgrounds in South Seattle. Collection materials are in English 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.

Correspondence of the Division Director with citizens and community groups regarding park facilities and programs in south Seattle neighborhoods. Also included are copies of letters of the Mayor and Parks Superintendent responding to citizen correspondence about south district parks issues and complaints

Arranged into five subseries: South Division Director’s correspondence, Mayor’s correspondence, Superintendent’s correspondence, log letters and subject files.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation South Division Director's Records , Record Series 5808-02. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation Seattle (Wash.) Playgrounds--Washington (State)--Seattle Parks--Washington (State)--Seattle Seattle Parks and Playgrounds

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

South Division Director's Correspondence 1997-2002 1/1 South Division Director's Correspondence 1997 1/2 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1998 1/3 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1998 1/4 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1998 1/5 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1998 1/6 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1999 1/7 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1999 1/8 Lou Clark's Correspondence 1999 1/9 Lou Clark's Correspondence 2000 1/10 Lou Clark's Correspondence 2000 1/11 Lou Clark's Correspondence 2001 1/12 Director's Correspondence 2002 1/13 Correspondence - Complaints 2000 1/14 Correspondence - Southeast 2000 1/15 Southeast Manager 2001-2002 Mayor's Correspondence 1996-1998 1/16 Mayor's Correspondence 1996 1/17 Mayor's Correspondence 1997 1/18 Mayor's Correspondence 1998 Superintendent's Correspondence 1994-2001 2/1 Superintendent's Correspondence 1994-1995 2/2 Superintendent's Correspondence 1995 2/3 Superintendent's Correspondence 1996 2/4 Superintendent's Correspondence 1996 2/5 Superintendent's Correspondence 1996 2/6 Superintendent's Correspondence 1997 2/7 Superintendent's Correspondence 1997 3/1 Superintendent's Correspondence 1997 3/2 Superintendent's Correspondence 1998 3/3 Superintendent's Correspondence 1998 3/4 Superintendent's Correspondence 1998 3/5 Superintendent's Correspondence 1998 3/6 Superintendent's Correspondence 1999 3/7 Superintendent's Correspondence 1999 3/8 Superintendent's Correspondence 1999 3/9 Superintendent's Correspondence 1999 3/10 Superintendent's Correspondence 2000 3/11 Superintendent's Correspondence 2000 3/12 Superintendent's Correspondence 2000 4/1 Superintendent's Correspondence 2000 4/2 Correspondence - Southwest 2000 4/3 Superintendent's Correspondence 2001 Log Letters 2001-2002 4/4 Director's Log Letters - Genesee Park, Elizabeth Yates 2002 4/5 Director's Log Letters - Queen Anne Community Center, Patricia Berger 2002 4/6 Director's Log Letters - Director's Log Letters - Ballard Pool, Caren Edwards 2002 4/7 Director's Log Letters - Puget Sound Clean Air Agency 2002 4/8 Director's Log Letters - Rainier Community Center Advisory Council 2001-2002 4/9 Director's Log Letters - Alki Bathhouse, Jackie Ramels 2002 4/10 Superintendent's Log Letters - Friends of Seward Park 2002 4/11 Superintendent's Log Letters - Seattle Housing Authority 2002 4/12 Superintendent's Log Letters - Hiawatha Community Center Advisory Council 2002 4/13 Superintendent's Log Letters - Queen Anne Community Council 2002 4/14 Superintendent's Log Letters - Lake City Playground, Stenholm 2002 4/15 Superintendent's Log Letters - Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance 2002 4/16 Superintendent's Log Letters - Ravenna Community Center / Skateboarders 2002 4/17 Superintendent's Log Letters - Occidental Park, Gayle Chronister / Pioneer Building 2002 4/18 Superintendent's Log Letters - Friends of Bradner Gardens 2002 4/19 Superintendent's Log Letters - Blacks In Government, Walter E. Washington 2002 4/20 Superintendent's Log Letters - Greater Seattle Senior Games 2002 4/21 Superintendent's Log Letters - Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance 2002 4/22 Superintendent's Log Letters - Kid's Place, Zeondra Richardson 2002 4/23 Superintendent's Log Letters - Rainier Beach Community Center, Ron Momoda 2002 4/24 Superintendent's Log Letters - Lowell Barger 1997-1998 4/25 Superintendent's Log Letters - Whittier Heights Community Council 2002 4/26 Mayor's Log Letters - Westcrest Park 2002 4/27 Mayor's Log Letters - Parks Vehicles 2002 4/28 Mayor's Log Letters - Queen Anne / McClure SPICE Center Closing 2002 4/29 Mayor's Log Letters - High Point Park, Rodney and Seana Barker 2002 4/30 Mayor's Log Letters - Magnolia Soccer Fields 2002 4/31 Mayor's Log Letters - Freeway Park 2002 Subject Files 1994-2002 4/32 Advisory Council Rosters 2000-2002 4/33 Alki Bathhouse 2002 5/1 Friends of South Ferdinand Park 1998 5/2 Georgetown Playfield 1994-1997 5/3 Parks Resource Operations Meeting 1995 5/4 Parks Resource Operations Meeting 1996-1998 5/5 School District's Facilities Plan 1998 5/6 Staff Meetings 1995