Ben Evans Recreation Program Collection, 1906-1995

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Evans, Ben, 1895-1988
Title
Ben Evans Recreation Program Collection
Dates
1906-1995 (inclusive)
Quantity
20.4 cubic ft., ((51 boxes))
Collection Number
5801-02
Summary
Records and photographs compiled by Ben Evans, documenting history of recreation programs within the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation as well as the history and philosophy of recreation programs nationally.
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 encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Ben Evans (1895-1988), long time director of the Seattle Parks Department recreation programs, was born in Cambridge, Ohio, and moved to Seattle with his parents in 1904. He attended University Heights grammar school and graduated from Lincoln High School. Evans married Ethel Reed of Findlay, Ohio, in 1925; the couple had no children.

A severe shoulder injury suffered in elementary school indirectly led Ben Evans to a career in recreation. After being in a partial body cast for two years waiting for bone chips to make their way through his body, a physician told Evans, “The thing that will save you is lots of fresh air and sunshine.”

Evans began his association with the Parks Department at the age of fifteen as an after-hours volunteer at the University and Collins Playfields. After high school graduation, he coached baseball and football at University Heights elementary school before joining the Parks Department full-time in 1917 as a playground instructor. Fifteen months later he was appointed Playground Director, and by 1925 was Director of Playgrounds and Bathing Beaches. In 1938, he was officially placed in the position of Recreation Director for the Parks Department, a position he held (with various title changes) until his retirement in 1960. For forty years, Evans was assisted by his brother Luther (Lou) Evans.

Ben Evans directed the development of Seattle’s public recreation program, turning it into one of the nation’s major playfield and recreation systems. When Evans began his career, Seattle had four playfields. By the time he retired, it had forty-three. Evans is credited with developing the city’s public school/playground joint use program. He also originated two of the Parks Department’s most popular contests: “Old Woodenface” (Old Woody), in which boys threw baseballs through an opening in a wooden frame, and “Old Oswald” (Old Ossie), which tested football kicking and throwing skills.

Outside of his Parks Department work, Evans advised the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, YMCA, and YWCA on their recreation programs. He received many honors for his work with children, including a lifetime membership in the PTA, a commendation from the Catholic Youth Organization, a diamond pin for Scouting activities, and the Seton Award for Creative Service from the Camp Fire Girls. He also served as adviser to the Boeing Company’s employees’ recreation program.

Evans was also active in professional recreation associations on the local, state, and national levels. He was a member of the White House Council on Children and Youth for Washington State, received a medal for his work on playfields from the National Recreation Congress, and was awarded a lifetime membership in the Washington Recreation and Park Society. Ben Evans died in 1988 at the age of 93.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation: Administrative History

The Parks and Recreation Department administers Seattle’s parks system and community recreation programs. It maintains over 6000 acres of city parks, 20 miles of shoreline, and 22 miles of boulevards. The department operates the city’s 25 community recreation centers, the Seattle Aquarium, nine swimming pools, a tennis center, and more than 400 smaller facilities. In addition, it is custodian for four public golf courses, three moorages, and several other athletic and cultural facilities.

In 1884 David Denny donated a five-acre tract that was the site of a cemetery to the City of Seattle, stipulating that it be designated a public park. The site, initially named Seattle Park and later renamed Denny Park, was the first ordinance-designated public park in Seattle. The ordinance that accepted the property (Ordinance 571) also made allowances for its conversion from a cemetery to a park and included a provision that three Park Commissioners be appointed to oversee the conversion.

At that time, the City of Seattle was operating under its 1869 charter, which provided for a relatively small government of 13 elected officials and three other officers, in whom all municipal authority was vested.

Legislation in 1887 (Ordinance 874) created the Board of Park Commissioners, consisting of three members to be appointed by Council. The commissioners served three-year terms. This unpaid body was charged with all management responsibilities for Seattle's parks and was expected to report to Council as often as each quarter, making recommendations for improvements and for the acquisition of new properties.

In 1890 the City of Seattle adopted its first home-rule charter. The city’s population had expanded from 3533 in 1880 to nearly 43,000. The new charter mandated a dramatically larger city government composed of 34 elected officials, 13 departments, and six regulatory commissions, including a Board of Park Commissioners. A park fund was also established, consisting of: proceeds from the sale of bonds issued for that purpose; gifts; appropriations made by Council; and 10% of the gross receipts from all fines, penalties, and licenses.

The new Board of Park Commissioners, appointed by the Mayor, consisted of five paid ($300 per year) members who served five-year terms. Although the Board had all management responsibilities for Seattle's parks, including the authority to appoint a superintendent and to negotiate for property, Council retained the authority to purchase property.

In 1892 the Board appointed E. O. Schwagerl, a noted landscape architect and engineer, to be the second Superintendent of Parks. During the four years that he held the office, Schwagerl developed the first comprehensive plan for Seattle's parks. This plan may have guided Assistant City Engineer George F. Cotterill, who organized volunteers to construct 25 miles of bicycle paths, the routes of which were utilized by the Olmsted Brothers in their 1903 city-wide plan for a system of parks and boulevards.

In 1896 Seattle adopted a new home-rule charter. This charter redefined the Board of Park Commissioners as the Park Committee: five unpaid appointees who reported annually to Council. In addition, all management responsibilities of the parks, including the authority to obtain new properties, were vested with the City Council. The Superintendent of Parks position was eliminated and its responsibilities were assumed by the new Superintendent of Street, Sewers, and Parks, one of the three members of the Board of Public Works.

In 1903, City Council adopted the Olmsted Brothers plan to expand and develop a system of parks and boulevards. At the same time, the Charter was amended, re-establishing the Board of Park Commissioners and giving it the kind of independence that park commissions in the metropolitan cities of the East enjoyed. While Council retained the authority to approve the purchase of property, the Board assumed all management responsibilities of the parks, as well as the exclusive authority to spend park fund monies. In addition, all park-related authority was removed from the Board of Public Works, and the Board of Park Commissioners elected to appoint a superintendent.

Public support, both for the implementation of the Olmsted plan as well as for the new, empowered Board, was substantial. In 1905 a $500,000 park bond was passed, followed by $1,000,000 in 1908; $2,000,000 in 1910; and $500,000 in 1912.

In 1907 the Superintendent was joined by a new staff position, the Assistant Superintendent, and in the following year the first directorship, Playgrounds Director, was created. In 1912 the first full-time engineer appeared under the title Chief Engineer, later to be changed to Park Engineer. By 1922 a Head Gardener had been appointed, and two more directorships created: the Zoo Director and the Bathing Beaches Director.

In 1925 the charter was amended such that no more money could be spent in the acquisition of park properties than was available through the park fund. In that same year, the Park Engineer was replaced by a new position, the Landscape Architect. In 1926 the Board abolished the position of Superintendent, distributing that position's responsibilities between the Head Gardener and the Landscape Architect. In 1927 the position title of Park Engineer was re-established, but with the duties and responsibilities of the old superintendent, while the new Junior Park Engineer directly managed engineering and construction activity.

In 1926 Mayor Bertha K. Landes appointed a Municipal Recreation Committee, composed of Park Board members, School Board members, and a representative of the community at large. Committee members analyzed ways in which they could cooperatively contribute to the municipal recreation program. The Committee submitted its report to the Mayor in January 1928. The report detailed which facilities were provided by the Park Board and which by the School Board; how the facilities could be more efficiently utilized; and what additional facilities were required.

A ten-year plan for the Department of Parks was announced in 1931. This plan, based upon a projected population for the Seattle metropolitan area in 1940, was a program of development aimed at making better use of existing properties, adding to those properties that needed more space, and acquiring new properties in those parts of town that were experiencing growth. Much of this plan would be realized by the Works Projects Administration later in the decade.

In 1939, administration of playground programs and bathing beaches was consolidated under the newly created position. In 1940, with the opening of the West Seattle Golf Course (the city’s third municipal golf course) the position of Golf Director was established. A 1948 Charter amendment required the Board of Park Commissioners to appoint a park superintendent, and the position was to be excluded from the classified civil service.

A Charter amendment in 1967 reconstituted the Board of Park Commissioners as an advisory body to the Mayor, Council, the renamed Department of Parks and Recreation, and other City agencies. The amendment placed the fiscal and operational administration of the department under the control of the Superintendent of Parks, who was now appointed by the Mayor to serve a four-year term. The specific duties of both the Superintendent and the Board, as well as the number of members and term length for the latter, were to be prescribed by ordinance. Council passed an ordinance in 1968 (Ordinance 96453) defining the Board as a seven-member body with three-year terms of service.

The 65 million dollar Forward Thrust bond was approved by voters in 1968. By 1974, with matching funds, interest, etc., it had grown to 92 million dollars in working capital; by 1976, over 40 new properties had been obtained by the Department of Parks and Recreation utilizing these funds.

By 1969 golf had ceased to warrant a director-level position and came under the administration of the Recreation Director. A new directorship, the Aquarium Director, was added in 1973. By the following year there were only four executive positions reporting directly to the Superintendent: Zoo Director, Aquarium Director, Assistant Superintendent of Management, and Assistant Superintendent of Operations. In 1977, a charter amendment abolished the four-year term for the Superintendent of Parks established by the 1967 amendment.

Recreation History

“The most pressing need of the playgrounds is adequate provision for winter work. With a long rainy season, there is no chance for children or grownups to enjoy the hardy outdoor sports the cold winters make possible in the East.”

So wrote J. Howard Stine, Seattle’s first fulltime Director of Recreation, in 1910. He was arguing for the “immediate construction” of fieldhouses. The next year when Hiawatha and Ballard fieldhouses opened their doors, Seattle became the first city on the West Coast and one of the first in the nation to build and operate year-round recreation centers. Although motor vehicles have now brought ski slopes within reach for many people, Mr. Stine’s basic premise remains valid, but he could hardly have foreseen the popularity of basketball or the invention of pickleball.

Mr. Stine had several other recommendations to improve the quality of recreation in Seattle: fence the playgrounds, give pay raises to the more experienced recreation leaders, and install telephones on the playgrounds. Summer “playground work” centered around team sports, games for small children, and inter-playground tournaments and field days. Construction of the fieldhouses opened the door to arts and crafts, indoor sports, and community events. Plays and concerts were popular.

Although Seattle was in the forefront of the growing “recreation movement,” it was by no means alone. Public recreation was unknown before the opening of the Boston “sand gardens” in 1885. Hull House in Chicago, founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, opened in 1889 and shortly thereafter Cities all over the nation began offering playground programs for their children. The first White House conference on playgrounds was held in 1906 and resulted in the founding of the Playground Association of America (later the National Recreation Association). The time was right for organized recreation, both public and private. The National Association of Boys Clubs was founded in 1906, the Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls in 1910, and Girl Scouts in 1912. The first Boy Scout troops in Seattle were organized in 1910 at Collins, Rogers, and Ballard playgrounds.

In the early decades of this century playgrounds and recreation centers were the focus of neighborhood activities. Architecturally, this community focus is seen in the stages that were a fixture in all the centers. Rarely used today, these stages were the scene of plays, concerts and lectures put on by local citizens and often sponsored by merchants.

In the summer, inter-playground meets and tournaments, elaborate Fourth of July celebrations, and outdoor concerts were common. Many adults in Seattle today have fond memories of “Old Woody” and “Old Ossie” competitions sponsored by the Seattle Times. Old Woody, or Old Woodenface, was a softball pitching structure that was carted from playground to playground where youngsters matched their skills to each other’s and to their own personal bests by trying to toss a softball through an opening. Old Oswald provided a similar throwing competition for football hopefuls. In 1922, more than 4500 youngsters took part in the Old Woodenface Contest at 23 playgrounds. The competition culminated in a parade 20 blocks long to Woodland Park for the finals. Old Woody and Old Ossie were playground fixtures from 1919 to 1968.

In its efforts to keep pace with changing recreational needs, the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation has sometimes offered some unusual programs. From 1922 to 1928, the Parks Department operated a tourist camp south of Green Lake where the Lower Woodland playfields are now located. The camp cost $21,000 to build and included a “community house,” large outdoor fireplaces, showers, and laundry facilities. Entertainment was presented nightly, usually in the form of concerts, dances, and movies. With camp sites renting for 50 cents a night, the project took in $15,000 above its operating expenses in 1922, serving 15,000 people in almost 5000 cars. The camp flourished briefly, reaching a peak in 1924 when it served 12,000 cars. Its decline was almost as swift, probably as the “tourist court” industry grew. It closed in 1928 in response to “a growing demand for use of the camp area for large picnics” and a proposal to construct “a battery of twelve or more tennis courts” on the site, according to Park Board correspondence.

In the 1930s, the Department made a brief effort to include skiing in its recreation offerings. On December 20, 1933, the Forest Service leased 28.4 acres at Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle to be cleared and developed for a ski course. Snoqualmie Ski Park was dedicated on January 21, 1934—one month later. In 1938, the Department reported: “The ski course at Snoqualmie Pass gains in popularity and thousands of spectators as well as skiers visit the course each winter.” The last mention of the ski park occurs in the 1939 annual report. Apparently, the five-year lease was not renewed.

The Seattle Civic Christmas Ship started its annual voyages in 1949 under the leadership of then-Superintendent Paul Brow, who sought to combine Seattle’s tradition of Music in the Parks with its penchant for water-oriented activities. With bonfires and holiday music, the Christmas Ship adds a distinctly Northwest tradition to December festivities. Ships that have carried the colors of the Civic Christmas Ship include: the converted destroyer-minesweeper Valkyrie from 1949-1967, owned and donated for the cruises by the late Chris Berg; the 105-foot luxury yacht Sobre las Olas, from 1968-1980, whose use was donated first by Murray Suthergreen and later by Dr. Rodney Hearne; and the 65-foot cruise ship Snow Goose, donated by the Pacific Marine Institute.

In the 1970s, Forward Thrust Bonds, along with federal grants and the Model City Program, supported the largest expansion of the Park system in Seattle’s history. The Forward Thrust program funded more than 70 new parks and facilities alone. The Associated Recreation Council (ARC) was formed in the 1970s to provide a structure for the citizen advisory councils that had grown in number. ARC was a federation of members advisory councils, with a Board made up of advisory council presidents elected by advisory council memberships.

In the 1980s and 1990s, recreational programs were focused more on specific populations, such as youth, families, at-risk teens, and those with disabilities. Recreational services broadened to include more social and educational programs. The hours of programs services were also extended, covering more hours per day and more days per week.

As the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation enters its second century, it has a varied history to look back on, and the prospect of a future uniquely shaped by the needs and demands of a population that values open space and recreational opportunity.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Ben Evans files comprise a wide range of records, personal papers, and ephemera accumulated by Evans during and after his 43-year tenure as a Parks Department employee. Following his death in 1988, the Evans family returned the records to the Department, recognizing their value to the City. The collection was under the care of Alan Hovland, who ensured its security and provided for the initial arrangement of the collection by a local historian. In 1996, the Evans collection was transferred to the custody of the Seattle Municipal Archives.

The collection dates from 1906 to 1995 and comprises 20.4 cubic feet in 51 boxes. The collection documents both the history of recreation programs within the Parks Department and reflects the history and philosophy behind recreation programs nationally. The collection is also a good source for biographical information on Parks Department employees. The collection is arranged in eleven subseries: I. Parks and Recreation Facilities; II. Sports Programs; III. Health and Safety Files; IV. Cultural Arts Programs; V. Christmas Ship Files; VI. Youth Organizations and Programs; VII. Administrative Subject Files; VIII. People/Biographical Files; IX. Regional, National, International Recreation Programs and Associations; X. Notebooks; XI. Photographs.

Over 300 photographs have been physically removed from the Evans collection and included in the Archives Image Collection. The photographs date from 1917 to 1984; many photographs are undated. The images document employees, participants, and facilities in the Parks Recreation Program. Included are images of kite contests, the Old Oswald and Old Woodenface contests, skiing at Snoqualmie, and Aqua Theater productions. Also included are images of other Parks Department employees, King County Parks Department employees and National Recreation Association members. There are also some images of recreation facilities, especially swimming pools, in other cities. Although physically separated from the rest of the collection, the photographs are included in this guide as a subseries of the Ben Evans Collection. More than 400 images have been digitized and are available on our digital platform. View 5801-02 online

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

A Timeline of Recreation History in Seattle

Pre-1851: A major recreation center was the Potlatch Meadows (approximately the site of the Seattle Center), scene of feasting, games and contests for many generations among Native Americans.

1850s: Pioneer center for recreation was Yesler’s Sawmill Cookhouse (scene of town meetings, dances and celebrations) and adjacent open space (now Pioneer Square) for ball games and circuses.

1884: First professional recreation center established by YMCA on Cedar Street (including pool).

1896: First concert in the parks, forerunner of the Music in the Parks program, was given in honor of the arrival of the S.S. Miike Maru, opening an era of trade between Seattle and Asia.

1900: First playground under City jurisdiction was out-of-town—Woodland Park purchase.

1904: First shelterhouse built by Department (designed by winner of architectural competition).

1906: National Recreation Association founded by President Theodore Roosevelt to promote interchange of ideas, etc.

1907: First City-supervised playground within city limits: Broadway Playfield (the second was Collins Playground.). First supervisor of Recreation: Assistant Superintendent J. Howard Stine (ex-YMCA). Playground leaders were trained by the YMCA -- Thompson spent bond money for leadership.

1909: First inter-playground athletic meet at Broadway Playfield. First inter-playground baseball game at Day Playground. First public tennis court (clay) at Broadway and Woodland (clay). First swings (wooden) at Denny and Volunteer Parks. First story-telling by Library staff at Collins Playground.

1910: First Boy Scout troops in Seattle were organized at Collins, Rogers, and Ballard playgrounds.

1911: First recreation centers (called “fieldhouses”) at Hiawatha, Ballard. Boat launching facility built at Denny-Blaine Park (boating existed with Woodland purchase). First municipally operated salt water bathing beach on West Coast at Alki Beach Park. First gift of property for playground purposes at Miller Playground. Playground report by Olmsted brothers stated that playgrounds and their management were most properly the business of schools – not for a park department to duplicate. First season for Aquatics Division of Parks Department. Playgrounds participated in first Potlatch Parade.

1914: First annual tennis tournament, inaugurated by Charles V. Gerrish, who gave 8 silver trophies. First public dances at Collins Recreation Center (private ones permitted since opening). Leagues formed by service groups and companies for baseball, tennis and basketball. Junior rowing program initiated by H.B. Conibear of University of Washington; included adults and swimming.

1915: First municipal golf course in Seattle at Jefferson Park.

1916: First motion picture booth in a recreation center at South Park.

1917: Recreation Division took over maintenance of playgrounds and centers with Ben Evans as Director. First annual open handicap golf tournament at Jefferson Golf Course.

1918: First supervised camp at “original” Carkeek Park (on Lake Washington), Ben Evans, Director.

1919: First free swim classes for youth under 16 at 10 beaches (through 1933 at least). First joint-use of facilities with School board: Highland Park School/adjoining Board offices had promoted cooperation and schools operated ball fields on “grade.” First annual Girls’ Day Picnic, sponsored by Community Service, Inc. First “Old Woodenface (Old Woody)” baseball and “Old Oswald (Old Ossie)” football contests for school boys. Seattle Times, sponsor, provided prizes; contest discontinued in 1968. First Swim Carnival, co-sponsored by Post-Intelligencer; Lou Evans, Director.

1920: First annual Girls’ Fun Frolic. First kite flying meet and model races.

1921: First annual overnight hike-camp at Carkeek Park (on Lake Washington).

1924: First playground lighted “as an experiment” at Rogers Playground.

1925: First annual Northwest Golf Tournament held at Jefferson Golf Course.

1928: City-wide survey compiled of school and park grounds, buildings, equipment and capabilities to establish cooperation in planning by both Boards; initiated by Mayor Bertha K. Landes.

1929: “Sails and Trails Club” initiated by Pearl Powell and Eleanor Springer at Camp O.O. Denny. First concrete tennis court in Seattle at Madrona Playground; it was better for roller-skate hockey.

1932: First two public high school dances; co-sponsored with PTA and School boards; north and south Seattle.

1933: State grant to fund recreation supervision during the Great Depression. Civil Works Administration funded labor to develop ski park at Snoqualmie Pass with five-year lease on forest lands.

1934: Department adopts “Space Requirement Standards for Recreation” of National Recreation Association.

1936: Works Progress Administration funded supervision of employment and recreation.

1948: First Alki Kids’ Fishing Derby promoted by Sheriff Don Armeni.

1950: Department inaugurated a policy of fees and charges for the exclusive use of facilities by outside groups. Creation of six district supervisors. Center and playground maintenance separated from Recreation.

1954: “Planning for Recreation” report defined needs and set priorities for Seattle.

1957: First all-city junior tennis tournament.

1958: Scenic Drive system established by Chamber of Commerce and Municipal Art Commission.

1961: National Recreation Association study recommended reorganization of Parks Department.

1964: Recreation staff formally expanded and established by W. H. Shumard to include four assistant directors and specialists in dance, art, music, drama, crafts, senior citizens and handicapped and public information.

1968: First bicycle Sunday on Lake Washington Boulevard, which was closed from Sayres Park through Seward Park. Sponsors included bike clubs, service organizations and individuals including Harry Coe of League of American Wheelmen. Phenomenal rise in popularity of bicycling resulted in a city-wide route, a Traffic Engineer project.

1970: Bathhouse remodeling program initiated by Mildred Noble, Assistant Director Cultural Arts. Unused portions of bathhouses were remodeled to meet demands for theater at Green Lake, an arts studio at Seward and a dance studio at Madrona.

1972: Recreation Districts re-divided for more equitable management.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Ben Evans Recreation Program Collection, Record Series 5801-02. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by subject in eleven subseries:

I: Parks and Recreation Facilities

II: Sports Programs

III: Health and Safety

IV: Cultural Arts Program

V: Christmas Ship

VI: Youth Organizations

VII: Administrative Subject Files

VIII: People

IX: Regional, National, and International Recreation Programs

X: Notebooks

XI: Photographs

Within each subseries, records are arranged by subject and chronologically.

Custodial History

The Ben Evans files were accumulated by Evans during and after his 43 years with the Parks Department. Upon his death in 1988, the Evans family returned the collection to the Parks Department.

Acquisition Information

The Evans collection was transferred from the Parks Department to the Seattle Municipal Archives in 1996.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

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

Subseries I:  Parks and Recreation Facilities, 1906-1995Return to Top

6.9 cubic ft.

The largest subseries in the Ben Evans Recreation Program Collection, the Parks and Recreation Facilities files document the administration, acquisition, development and improvements of department-maintained facilities. The files also document the activities in parks and recreation programs and at the Parks facilities. The Parks Facilities are wide-ranging and include camps, golf courses, bathing beaches, playgrounds and playfields. The largest files are those of Green Lake, Camp Long, and Woodland Park Zoo.

This subseries contains financial statements, correspondence, newsletters and news clippings, meeting minutes, reports, attendance records, and programs of events. Also included are articles from national recreation publications on budgeting, contracting, and creating work specifications.

The records are arranged alphabetically by name of facility.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Alki Beach Park
1925-1949
1/2
Alki Beach Park
1951-1960
1/3
Alki Beach Park
n.d.
1/4
Alki Beach Park: News Clippings
1950-1959
1/5
Alki Beach Park: News Clippings
1960-1969
1/6
Alki Beach Park: News Clippings
1970-1975
1/7
Alki Beach Park: News Clippings
n.d.
1/8
Aquarium: Brochures and Programs
n.d.
1/9
Aquarium: The Central Waterfront Master Plan, Portal to the Pacific
1994
1/10
Aquarium: News Clippings
1957-1972
1/11
Aquarium: News Clippings
1973-1994
1/12
Aqua Theater
1954-1959
1/13
Aqua Theater
n.d.
1/14
Aqua Theater: Programs
1952-1953
1/15
Aqua Theater: News Clippings
1950-1951
1/16
Aqua Theater: News Clippings
1952
1/17
Aqua Theater: News Clippings
1953
1/18
Aqua Theater: News Clippings
1960-1969
2/1
Aqua Theater: News Clippings
1970-1992
2/2
Aqua Theater: News Clippings
n.d.
2/3
Aqua Theater: Photocopies of Photographs
n.d.
2/4
Arboretum
1937-1986
2/5
Arboretum: News Clippings
1952-1959
2/6
Arboretum: News Clippings
1960-1969
2/7
Arboretum: News Clippings
1970-1972
2/8
Arboretum: News Clippings
1973-1984
2/9
Arboretum: News Clippings
n.d.
2/10
Armory Park
1972-1973
2/11
Atlantic City Park and Atlantic Street Center
1959
2/12
Ballard Playground
1924-1950
2/13
Ballard Playground: News Clippings
1930-1974
2/14
Ballard Pool: News Clippings
1970-1973
2/15
Bathing Beaches: Pools
1950-1960
2/16
Bathing Beaches: Pools, News Clippings
1951-1994
2/17
Bayview Playground
1968
2/18
Beacon Hill Playground
1959-1973
2/19
Belvedere Viewpoint
1961
2/20
Bergen Place
1975
2/21
Bitter Lake Playfield
1962-1994
2/22
Boat Ramps, Moorages, Piers
1952-1974
2/23
Brighton Playfield
1932-1975
2/24
Broadway Playfield
1925-1949
2/25
Broadway Playfield: News Clippings
1944-1973
2/26
Bryant Playground
1972
3/1
B. F. Day Playground
1953-1972
3/2
Burke - Gilman Trail
1970-1975
3/3
Camp O. O. Denny
n.d.
3/4
Camp O. O. Denny
1931-1946
3/5
Camp O. O. Denny: News Clippings
1937-1970
3/6
Camp O. O. Denny
1947-1955
3/7
Camp O. O. Denny
1956-1960
3/8
Camp O. O. Denny: Account Book
1952-1957
3/9
Camping
1925-1965
3/10
Camping: News Clippings
1954-1995
3/11
Camp Lawton [Fort Lawton]
1925
3/12
Camp Long: Crafts, Firecrafts
n.d.
3/13
Camp Long: Mountain Climbing, Camping
1938-1975
3/14
Camp Long: Slide Presentation Text
n.d.
3/15
Camp Long: History
1941-1960
3/16
Camp Long: Programs, Guides, Schedules
1941-1965
3/17
Camp Long: Games, Stunts, Songs
n.d.
4/1
Camp Long: Attendance Records, Rules, Forms
1942-1994
4/2
Camp Long: Maps, Drawings, Pictures
1945
4/3
Camp Long: News Clippings, Mountain Climbing, Camping, Crafts, Events
1947-1973
4/4
Camp Long: Programs
1956
4/5
Camp Long: Objectives, Demonstrations, Lessons, Games
1956-1960
4/6
Camp Long: William G. Long
1956-1975
4/7
Camp Long: Trails, Pond, Observatory
1959-1965
4/8
Camp Long: Day Camp, Potlach, Miscellaneous Events
1960-1965
4/9
Camp Long: Programs
1963
4/10
Camp Long: Day Camp Instructor and Counselor Guide
1967
4/11
Camp Long: News Clippings, Mountain Climbing, Crafts, Camping, Events
1971-1975
4/12
Carkeek Park
1925-1995
4/13
Carkeek Park: News Clippings
1922-1959
4/14
Carkeek Park: News Clippings
1961-1995
5/1
Cascade Place
n.d.
5/2
City Hall Park
1952-1995
5/3
City View Park
1966
5/4
Civic Auditorium
1950-1953
5/5
Collins Playfield
1906-1933
5/6
Collins Playfield
1935-1975
5/7
Collins Playfield
1936-1971
5/8
Colman Pool: News Clippings
1941-1959
5/9
Colman Pool
1941-1960
5/10
Colman Pool: News Clippings
1960-1973
5/11
Colman Playground
1942-1975
5/12
Columbia Park
1964
5/13
Commodore Park
1972-1975
5/14
Dahl Playfield
1956-1972
5/15
Dearborn Park
1956
5/16
Delridge Playfield
1952-1994
5/17
Denny Blaine Park
1953-1964
5/18
Denny Park
1950-1987
5/19
Discovery Park
1973-1974
5/20
Discovery Park
1975-1995
5/21
Duwamish Head / Hamilton Park
1957-1974
6/1
Evans Pool
1945-1956
6/2
Evans Pool
1957-1959
6/3
Evans Pool
1960-1969
6/4
Evans Pool
1970-1973
6/5
Fairmont Playground
1964-1974
6/6
Field Houses
1920-1926
6/7
Field Houses
1949-1954
6/8
Field Houses
1954-1955
6/9
Field Houses
1956-1957
6/10
Field Houses
1958-1959
6/11
Field Houses
1960-1966
6/12
Fort Lawton
1926-1957
6/13
Fort Lawton
1964-1969
6/14
Fort Lawton
1970-1972
7/1
Fort Lawton
1973-1975
7/2
Fort Worden
1972
7/3
Freeway Park
1960-1973
7/4
Freeway Park
1973-1975
7/5
Frink Park
n.d.
7/6
Froula Playground
1956-1957
7/7
Gardens
1950-1975
7/8
Garfield Playfield
1926-1968
7/9
Garfield Playfield
1969-1994
7/10
Gas Works Park
1974
7/11
Gas Works Park
1962-1969
7/12
Gas Works Park
1975-1995
7/13
Gas Works Park
1970-1972
7/14
Gas Works Park
1973
7/15
Georgetown Playfield
1953-1970
7/16
Gilman Playground
1969-1973
7/17
Golden Gardens Park
1970-1972
7/18
Golden Gardens Park
1950-1959
7/19
Golden Gardens Park
1960-1969
7/20
Golden Gardens Park
1974
7/21
Golden Gardens Park
1975-1994
7/22
Green Lake
n.d.
8/1
Green Lake
n.d.
8/2
Green Lake
1924-1929
8/3
Green Lake: History, Ladies Auxiliary
1926-1938
8/4
Green Lake
1930-1939
8/5
Green Lake
1940-1945
8/6
Green Lake
1946-1949
8/7
Green Lake
1950-1955
8/8
Green Lake
1956-1959
8/9
Green Lake
1960-1965
9/1
Green Lake
1970-1972
9/2
Green Lake
1966-1971
9/3
Green Lake
1973-1995
9/4
Greenwood Park
1954-1971
9/5
Haller Lake
1952-1969
9/6
Hamlin Park
1953-1975
9/7
Hanging Gardens, Hotel Lincoln
n.d.
9/8
Helene Madison Pool
1971-1973
9/9
Hiawatha Playfield
n.d.
9/10
Hiawatha Playfield
1924-1959
9/11
Hiawatha Playfield
1960-1974
9/12
Highland Playground
1954-1974
10/1
High Point Playfield
1954-1972
10/2
Hing Hay Park
1970-1975
10/3
Hutchinson Playground and Recreation Center
1968-1971
10/4
Interlaken Park
1963-1966
10/5
Interbay Playfield
1953-1970
10/6
Jackson Park
1954-1971
10/7
Jefferson Park
1941-1959
10/8
Jefferson Park
1964-1967
10/9
Jefferson Park
1968-1969
10/10
Jefferson Park
1970-1972
10/11
Jefferson Park
1993-1995
10/12
Judkins Park and Playfield
1951-1974
10/13
Kent
1969-1995
10/14
Kerry Park
1969-1975
10/15
Kilbourne Park
1966
10/16
Kingdome
1976
10/17
Kinnear Park
1970
10/18
Kiwanis Memorial Preserve Park
1969-1972
10/19
Kobe Terrace
1975
10/20
Lake City Neighborhood
1954-1972
10/21
Lakeridge Park and Playground
n.d.
10/22
Lake Union
1969-1974
10/23
Lakeview Park
n.d.
10/24
Lake Washington
1952-1973
10/25
Lakewood Playground
1952-1975
10/26
Laurelhurst Playfield
1936-1973
11/1
Leschi Park
1956-1973
11/2
Licton Springs
1951-1975
11/3
Lincoln Park Park
1950-1975
11/4
Lowell Playground
1969
11/5
Loyal Heights Playfield
1947-1973
11/6
Luna Park
1957-1987
11/7
H.W. McCurdy Park
1958
11/8
Madison Park, Beach
1950-1974
11/9
Madrona Park Beach
1939-1948
11/10
Madrona Park Beach
1950-1959
11/11
Madrona Park Beach
1960-1975
11/12
Magnolia Park and Pool
1949-1966
11/13
Magnolia Park and Pool
1957-1966
12/1
Magnolia Park and Pool
1958-1994
12/2
Maple Leaf Playground
1969
12/3
Marinas
1969-1972
12/4
Matthews Beach Park
1952-1975
12/5
Meadowbrook Playfield and Recreation Center
1953-1995
12/6
Medgar Evers Pool
1970-1972
12/7
Mercer Playground
1953-1956
12/8
Miller Playfield
1953-1971
12/9
Mini Parks
1969-1975
12/10
Montlake Playfield
1935-1995
12/11
Mount Baker Park and Beach
1952-1975
12/12
Newport Park
1957-1970
12/13
North End Recreation
1943-1972
12/14
Observatory Park [Courts]
n.d.
12/15
Occidental Park [Square]
1970-1973
12/16
Olympic View
1952-1958
12/17
Parsons Gardens
1956
12/18
Phinney Ridge Community Council
1971
12/19
Pinehurst Playground
1953-1970
12/20
Portage Bay
1963
12/21
P-Patch Plots
1973-1974
12/22
Prefontaine Place
n.d.
12/23
Pritchard Island Beach
1951-1965
12/24
Puget Park
1963-1969
12/25
Queen Anne
1948-1959
12/26
Queen Anne
1960-1965
13/1
Queen Anne
1966-1969
13/2
Queen Anne
1970-1995
13/3
Queen Anne Pool
1973-1974
13/4
Rainier Beach Playfield
1932-1958
13/5
Rainier Beach Playfield
1960-1969
13/6
Rainier Beach Playfield
1970-1975
13/7
Ravenna Park
1903-1923
13/8
Ravenna Park
1950-1982
13/9
Riverview Park
1966
13/10
Rizal (Jose P.) Park
1974
13/11
Roanoke Park
1966-1971
13/12
Rogers Playground
1970-1972
13/13
Roosevelt / Cowen Park
1919-1994
13/14
Ross Playground
1964-1965
13/15
Roxbury Park
1966
13/16
Roxhill Park
1969
13/17
Sacajawea Playground
1953-1968
13/18
Salmon Bay Park
1915-1973
13/19
Sand Point
1957-1975
13/20
Sandel (Neil) Playground
1973
13/21
Schmitz Memorial Park
1953-1979
13/22
Seafair
1950-1969
13/23
Seafair: King Neptune, Gold Cup, Slo Mo Five
1953
14/1
Seafair: Miscellaneous Subjects
1953-953
14/2
Seafair: Parade, Aqua Follies, Navy, Sea Fair Queen
1950-1953
14/3
Seafair
1970-1995
14/4
Sealth Swimming Pool
1973-1974
14/5
Seattle Center
1938-1965
14/6
Seattle Center
1966-1995
14/7
Seattle Commons
1993-1994
14/8
Seattle Commons
1995-1996
14/9
Seward Park
n.d.
14/10
Seward Park
1950-1959
14/11
Seward Park
1962-1969
14/12
Seward Park
1970-1995
14/13
Shilshole Bay
1957-1962
14/14
Ship Canal
1971-1973
14/15
Sicks Stadium
1974
14/16
Sister City Parks
1974
14/17
Soundview Terrace Play Area
1966-1972
15/1
South Park Playground
1924-1974
15/2
Stan Sayres Park and Pits
1956-1973
15/3
Sunset Hill Park
n.d.
15/4
Thornton Creek
1969-1994
15/5
Tilicum Place
1974-1975
15/6
Tokeland Beach
1966
15/7
Twelfth Avenue Southwest Park
1966
15/8
University Playground
n.d.
15/9
Van Asselt Playground
1952-1974
15/10
Victory Heights Playground
1964-1969
15/11
Viewridge Playfield
1960-1972
15/12
Volunteer Park
n.d.
15/13
Volunteer Park
1950-1959
15/14
Volunteer Park
1961-1969
15/15
Volunteer Park
1970-1987
15/16
Wallingford Playfield
1951-1971
15/17
Wallingford Playfield
1926-1972
15/18
Waterfront Park : Elliot Bay
1958-1995
15/19
Wedgewood Playground
1955
15/20
Westlake Park
1960-1995
15/21
West Seattle: General
1952-1964
15/22
West Seattle: General
1965-1974
16/1
West Seattle: Stadium
1936-1973
16/2
White Center
1953-1973
16/3
Williams Place
n.d.
16/4
Woodland Park and Zoo: Maps, Pictures
n.d.
16/5
Woodland Park and Zoo
1922-1939
16/6
Woodland Park and Zoo
1940-1951
16/7
Woodland Park and Zoo
1950-1952
16/8
Woodland Park and Zoo
1953
16/9
Woodland Park and Zoo
1954-1955
16/10
Woodland Park and Zoo
1956
16/11
Woodland Park and Zoo
1957-1959
17/1
Woodland Park and Zoo
1959-1977
17/2
Woodland Park and Zoo
1960-1971
17/3
Woodland Park and Zoo
1966
17/4
Woodland Park and Zoo
1968
17/5
Woodland Park and Zoo
1969
17/6
Woodland Park and Zoo
1970
17/7
Woodland Park and Zoo
1971
17/8
Woodland Park and Zoo
1971
18/1
Woodland Park and Zoo
1971-1996
18/2
Woodland Park and Zoo
1972
18/3
Woodland Park and Zoo
1973
18/4
World's Fair
1959-1962
18/5
Yesler Neighborhood
1964-1973

Subseries II:  Sports Programs, 1920-1995Return to Top

3.9 cubic ft.

These files contain general information on individual sports, games, and events as well as records relating to the formal sports programs administered by the Recreation Division. Sports such as baseball, golf, tennis, basketball, and skiing are documented, as are checkers tournaments and events such as the Fun Frolic. The Fun Frolic was an event for girls which included a parade, a track meet, baseball throwing, and playground games such as squares, cartwheels, and jump-rope. Especially well documented are the swimming and aquatics programs, “Old Oswald” (Old Ossie) football and “Old Woodenface” (Old Woody) contests, both of which began in 1921, sponsored by the Parks Department and the Seattle Times. The “Old Oswald” was a six-foot football frame through which boys threw, punted, and kicked a football. The “Old Woodenface” contest was a wooden frame through which boys pitched baseballs to "“strike out" Old Woody.

Records contained in the subseries include: promotional materials for sports programs, league lists and schedules, programs, tournament and contest rules and, correspondence, proposals, instructional guides, financial statements, and meeting minutes. Also included are reports on tournaments, contests, and other events.

Files are arranged alphabetically by sport or event.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
18/6
Achievement Club
1930-1953
18/7
Archery
1958
18/8
Athletic Tests
1925-1926
18/9
Badminton
1959-1974
18/10
Badminton: News Clippings
1956-1970
18/11
Ballfields: Use and Regulations
1951-1966
18/12
Baseball
n.d.
18/13
Baseball
1927-1962
19/1
Baseball: News Clippings
n.d.
19/2
Baseball: News Clippings
1921-1995
19/3
Basketball
n.d.
19/4
Basketball
n.d.
19/5
Basketball
1920-1929
19/6
Basketball
1930-1939
19/7
Basketball
1940-1949
19/8
Basketball
1950-1959
19/9
Basketball: News Clippings
n.d.
19/10
Basketball: News Clippings
1920-1949
19/11
Basketball: News Clippings
1950-1959
19/12
Basketball: News Clippings
1960-1969
19/13
Basketball: News Clippings
1970-1980
19/14
Bicycling: Maps
n.d.
19/15
Bicycling: News Clippings
1951-1975
20/1
Bocce Ball
n.d.
20/2
Bowling
1961-1993
20/3
Checkers
1928-1965
20/4
Checkers: News Clippings
1929-1958
20/5
Emblem Winners
1925
20/6
Exercise
1965
20/7
Fishing
1942-1972
20/8
Football
1928-1962
20/9
Football: News Clippings
1924-1968
20/10
Football: News Clippings
1969-1973
20/11
Football: News Clippings
n.d.
20/12
Fun Frolic
1925-1944
20/13
Fun Frolic
1950-1959
20/14
Fun Frolic
1960-1962
20/15
Fun Frolic: News Clippings
1920-1959
20/16
Fun Frolic: News Clippings
1960-1972
20/17
Golf
1963-1992
20/18
Golf: News Clippings
1952-1959
21/1
Golf: News Clippings
1960-1969
21/2
Golf: News Clippings
1974-1994
21/3
Gymnastics
n.d.
21/4
Handball
1932
21/5
Hockey: Indoor Gym
1925-1939
21/6
Hockey: Indoor Gym
1940-1960
21/7
Horseshoes
1927-1975
21/8
Junior Crew
1957-1960
21/9
Junior Crew: News Clippings
1951-1973
21/10
Kite Contests
1927-1960
21/11
Kite Contests: News Clippings
1927-1995
21/12
Marbles
1923-1962
21/13
Mountain Climbing, Hiking
1929-1982
21/14
Newcomb Tournament: All City Junior Girls
1961
21/15
Old Ossie, Football
n.d.
21/16
Old Ossie, Football
1923-1938
21/17
Old Ossie, Football
1940-1943
21/18
Old Ossie, Football
1944-1948
21/19
Old Ossie, Football
1950-1954
21/20
Old Ossie, Football
1955
21/21
Old Ossie, Football
1957
22/1
Old Ossie, Football
1956
22/2
Old Ossie, Football
1958-1956
22/3
Old Ossie, Football
1960-1963
22/4
Old Ossie, Football
1964-1966
22/5
Old Woody, Baseball
n.d.
22/6
Old Woody, Baseball
1922-1925
22/7
Old Woody, Baseball
1930-1938
22/8
Old Woody, Baseball
1938-1940
22/9
Old Woody, Baseball
1940-1945
22/10
Old Woody, Baseball
1946-1949
22/11
Old Woody, Baseball
1950-1953
22/12
Old Woody, Baseball
1953
22/13
Old Woody, Baseball
1954
22/14
Old Woody, Baseball
1955
22/15
Old Woody, Baseball
1956
22/16
Old Woody, Baseball
1957
22/17
Old Woody, Baseball
1958-1959
22/18
Old Woody, Baseball
1960-1968
22/19
Pickle Ball
1965
22/20
Play Day
1925-1942
22/21
Playground Ball
1925-1927
22/22
Playground Ball
1928-1930
23/1
Playground Ball
1930-1934
23/2
Pole Vaulting
n.d.
23/3
Relay Carnival
1929
23/4
Relay Carnival
1930-1934
23/5
Relay Carnival
1936-1939
23/6
Relay Carnival
1940-1944
23/7
Relay Carnival
1945-1949
23/8
Relay Carnival
1953-1959
23/9
Relay Carnival
1960-1972
23/10
Roller Skating
1926-1936
23/11
Sailing and Boating
n.d.
23/12
Sailing and Boating
1927-1965
23/13
Sailing and Boating
1966-1994
23/15
Skiing
1946-1964
23/16
Skiing
1965-1982
23/17
Sledding
1969
23/18
Soccer
1935-1972
23/19
Softball
1934-1049
23/20
Softball
1950-1977
23/114
Skiing
1933-1939
24/1
Softball: News Clippings
1972-1974
24/2
Softball: News Clippings
1932-1971
24/3
Sports: General
1925-1972
24/4
Sports: General, News Clippings
1951-1976
24/5
Sports: Personalities
1966-1969
24/6
Stilts
1925-1926
24/7
Swimming
n.d.
24/8
Swimming
n.d.
24/9
Swimming
1951-1957
24/10
Swimming
1929-1934
24/11
Swimming
1935-1939
24/12
Swimming
1940-1949
24/13
Swimming
1950-1955
24/14
Swimming
1956-1958
24/15
Swimming
1958-1959
24/16
Swimming
1960-1963
24/17
Swimming
1964-1966
24/18
Swimming
1968-1984
24/19
Swimming: Booklets
n.d.
25/1
Swimming: Interdepartmental Memorandum
1960
25/2
Swimming: Post-Intelligencer Swim Carnival
1963
25/3
Tennis
1944-1960
25/4
Tennis
1975
25/5
Tennis
1921-1929
25/6
Tennis
1930-1938
25/7
Tennis
1940-1949
25/8
Tennis
1952-1959
25/9
Tennis
1960-1969
25/10
Tennis
1970-1974
25/11
Tennis: Booklets
n.d.
25/12
Tennis: Booklets
n.d.
25/13
Track and Field
n.d.
25/14
Track and Field
1924-1938
25/15
Track and Field
1941-1949
25/16
Track and Field
1950-1959
25/17
Track and Field
1960-1969
25/18
Track and Field
1970-1979
25/19
Volleyball
1925-1930
25/20
Volleyball
1930-1939
25/21
Volleyball
1940-1973
26/1
Volleyball: Booklet
n.d.
26/2
Water Skiing
1972
26/3
Winter Sports
1959
26/4
Women's Crew, Rowing Regatta
1973
26/5
Wrestling, Boxing
1957-1967

Subseries III:  Health and Safety, 1927-1995Return to Top

0.4 cubic ft.

The Health and Safety Files relate to crime and crime prevention, accident prevention, vandalism and pollution and litter on Parks Department property and to Parks Department employees, as well as the greater Seattle area. Other subjects are alcohol and drug use, police and fire protection, juvenile delinquency, and sanitation. Two files contain materials on providing recreational opportunities for the disabled.

Newspaper clippings constitute the bulk of the material in this series; other records include memoranda, conference proceedings, newsletters, accident and injury reports, and statistics.

The records in this series are arranged alphabetically by subject in the original order in which they were filed.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
26/6
Crimes: Vandalism
1954-1969
26/7
Crimes: Vandalism
1970-1975
26/8
Crimes: Vandalism, Memorandum
1970
26/9
Disasters
1966-1995
26/10
Handicapped Issues
1956-1966
26/11
Handicapped Issues
1968-1995
26/12
Health Issues
1958-1970
26/13
Health Issues
1969-1995
26/14
Injuries, Safety
1927-1947
26/15
Injuries, Safety
1950-1955
26/16
Injuries, Safety
1956-1959
26/17
Injuries, Safety
1960-1995
26/18
Injuries, Safety
1970-1992
26/19
Injuries, Safety: Booklet
n.d.
26/20
Juvenile Delinquency
1947-1968
26/21
Police
1921-1975
26/22
Sanitation, Hygiene
1978-1993
26/23
Sanitation, Hygiene
1958

Subseries IV:  Cultural Arts Programs, 1914-1995Return to Top

0.4 cubic ft.

This subseries contains records documenting the Recreation Division's programs in visual arts, dance, drama, and music. Some material deals with public art in Seattle as well as graffiti. The files contain maps, news clippings, brochures, instructions for teaching crafts, storytelling techniques, reports, memoranda, musical scores, financial statements, correspondence, schedules, scripts, promotional materials, and course syllabi. Materials documenting the music programs are undated.

The records are arranged alphabetically in four broad categories: Art, Dance, Drama and Music.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
26/24
Art
n.d.
26/25
Art
1959-1994
27/1
Arts: General
1953-1966
27/2
Arts: General
1968-1995
27/3
Arts: General
1930-1939
27/4
Arts: Northwest Art, Corporate Collection
1984
27/5
Dance: Participating Classes
n.d.
27/6
Dance: Participating Classes
1933-1955
27/7
Dance: Participating Classes
1956-1959
27/8
Dance: Participating Classes
1960-1973
27/9
Dance: Performance
1926-1939
27/10
Dance: Performance
1940-1971
27/11
Drama
1930-1952
27/12
Drama
1936-1966
27/13
Drama
1968-1975
27/14
Drama: Programs, Booklets, Scripts
1914-1923
27/15
Drama: Scripts
n.d.
27/16
Drama: Scripts
n.d.
27/17
Music
n.d.
27/18
Music
n.d.
27/19
Music
n.d.
28/1
Music Scores
n.d.

Subseries V:  Christmas Ship, 1949-1994Return to Top

0.4 cubic ft.

Subseries V documents the history and administration of Seattle's Christmas Ship. The Christmas Ship, which began operating in 1948, is a holiday cruise around Lake Washington, Lake Union, and the Shilshole harbor area. Supported by community donations, the ship carries Christmas carolers whose singing is broadcast to the shore. The Department of Parks and Recreation decorates the ship and arranges details of the voyage. The Christmas Ship records include correspondence, promotional materials and press releases, cruise schedules, news clippings, financial statements, and reports.

Records are arranged chronologically.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
28/2
Christmas Ship
1949
28/3
Christmas Ship
1950
28/4
Christmas Ship
1950
28/5
Christmas Ship
1950
28/6
Christmas Ship
1950
28/7
Christmas Ship
1951
28/8
Christmas Ship
1951
28/9
Christmas Ship
1951
28/10
Christmas Ship
1952
28/11
Christmas Ship
1952
28/12
Christmas Ship
1953
28/13
Christmas Ship
1953-1954
28/14
Christmas Ship
1955
28/15
Christmas Ship
1956-1965
28/16
Christmas Ship
1966-1969
28/17
Christmas Ship
1970-1994

Subseries VI:  Youth Organizations, 1939-1994Return to Top

0.1 cubic ft.

The records in this subseries reflect Ben Evans’ involvement in youth organizations such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls and other groups in the Seattle area. This subseries contains surveys, promotional materials, news clippings, programs, correspondence, meeting minutes, financial statements, newsletters, and pamphlets documenting the history and activities of these organization. Subjects include child growth and development, leadership, fundraising, and physical fitness.

The records are arranged alphabetically by program.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
29/1
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
n.d.
29/2
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
1963-1981
29/3
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts: Newsletters
1962-1963
29/4
Campfire Girls
1965-1969
29/5
Campfire Girls: Leadership Booklet
1973
29/6
Campfire Girls: Leadership Booklet
n.d.
29/7
Child Growth and Development
1957
29/8
Child Growth and Development
1939
29/9
YMCA and YWCA
1948-1959
29/10
YMCA and YWCA
1961-1975
29/11
YMCA and YWCA
1962
29/12
Youth Special Activities
1961-1965
29/13
Youth Special Activities
1966-1994

Subseries VII:  Administrative Subject Files, 1903-1996Return to Top

6.8 cubic ft.

The second largest subseries in the collection after the Facilities subseries, these files contain information about Recreation programs, projects, and City-wide activities that affected the Parks Department, as well as the department's relationship with public schools and other local organizations. Several files hold material on national and local professional recreation groups such as the American Institute of Park Executives and National Park Association. The most extensive files relate to the Park Board. They date from 1916 to 1979 and include correspondence and newspaper clippings.

There is a series of “History” files containing newspaper clippings relating to the history of the City, the Parks Department, and the parks; information on the history of the parks is also found in the Olmsted Brothers files. The files titled “Ethnic Matters” contain newspaper clippings relating to race issues and ethnic events as well as issues of “Northwest Ethnic News.”

The files of Playground Reports dating from 1925 to 1931 are detailed summer reports by playground of recreation activities at that location. The reports cover activities for both boys and girls and include program evaluations, suggestions for improvements, comments on children’s behavior, and favorite games. Photographs are included with the 1925 Garfield playground report. Weekly Fieldhouse Reports, dating from 1923 to 1944, are primarily statistical, including number of boys and girls attending, and types of organized games played. Other subjects documented in the Administrative Subject Files are attendance and customer satisfaction, fundraising and financing, education of recreation professionals, and Forward Thrust.

Records in the Administrative Subject Files, although they vary according to the file, include reports, news clippings, employee newsletters, financial statements, memoranda, journal articles, catalogs, notes, sketches, maps, and conference papers and proceedings.

The files are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
29/14
Activities, Services
n.d.
29/15
Activities, Services
1920-1995
29/16
Activities, Services
1937-1942
29/17
Activities, Services
1954-1969
29/18
Activities, Services
1970-1987
29/19
Activities, Services: Booklet
1950
29/20
Administration
1947-1980
30/1
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
1908-1938
30/2
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
1939-1949
30/3
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
n.d.
30/4
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
n.d.
30/5
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
n.d.
30/6
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
1950-1955
30/7
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
1956-1959
30/8
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
1960-1965
30/9
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy
1966-1996
30/10
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy, Booklets
n.d.
30/11
Advocacy: Political Opinions, Philosophy, Seattle Voter, Newsletter
1980
30/12
American Institute of Park Executives
1935-1959
30/13
American Institute of Park Executives
1948-1953
30/14
American Institute of Park Executives
1956-1959
30/15
American Institute of Park Executives
1960
30/16
American Recreation Society
1947-1951
30/17
American Recreation Society
1953-1956
30/18
American Recreation Society
1953-1960
30/19
Annual Reports: Materials and Excerpts
1940
30/20
Annual Reports: Materials and Excerpts
1957-1968
31/1
Annual Reports: Materials and Excerpts
1958-1972
31/2
Annual Reports: Department of Parks and Recreation Annual Report
1984
31/3
Annual Reports: Beaches and Outdoor Pools
1981
31/4
Annual Reports: Materials and Excerpts - Incudes Photographs
1940
31/5
Annual Reports: Playground Division Annual Report
1940
31/6
Annual Reports: Playground Division
1940
31/7
Annual Reports: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent
1946
31/8
Archives
1996
31/9
Atomic Bomb
1951
31/10
Attendance Reports: Recreation Programs
1950-1955
31/11
Attendance Reports: Recreation Programs
1956-1959
31/12
Attendance Reports: Recreation Programs
1920-1990
31/13
Awards, Honors
1926-1931
31/14
Awards, Honors
1961-1975
31/15
Awards, Honors
1951-1959
31/16
Beautification
1958-1995
31/17
Boeing Company Recreation Programs
1952-1976
32/1
Budget and Finance Issues: Parks Department
1936-1953
32/2
Budget and Finance Issues: Parks Department
1954
32/3
Budget and Finance Issues: Parks Department
1955-1972
32/4
Budget and Finance Issues: Parks Department
1960-1969
32/5
Budget and Finance Issues: Parks Department
1970-1994
32/6
Budget: Recreation Division
1961
32/7
Businesses
1950-1976
32/8
Calendar of Events and Schedules
1940-1959
32/9
Calendar of Events and Schedules
1960-1974
32/10
Carpenter Shop
n.d.
32/11
Centennial: Settlement of Seattle
1952
32/12
Charity, Donations
1951-1994
32/13
Chief Seattle Statue, Tilikum Place
1951-1975
32/14
City Council Actions (newspaper clippings)
1947-1955
32/15
City Council Actions (newspaper clippings)
1956-1959
32/16
City Council Actions (newspaper clippings)
1960-1994
32/17
Clubs: Service Clubs
1959
33/1
Computer Folk: Computer Services, Roy Street Facility
n.d.
33/2
Concessions
1952-1958
33/3
Conservation
1971-1975
33/4
Contrasts, Comparisons
1953-1965
33/5
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
1950-1957
33/6
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
n.d.
33/7
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
n.d.
33/8
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
1958-1960
33/9
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
1958-1974
33/10
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
1974-1980
33/11
Creative Playthings: Playground Equipment
n.d.
33/12
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1957-1969
33/13
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1969-169
33/14
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1970
33/15
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1970
33/16
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1969-1970
33/17
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1970
33/18
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1970
33/19
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1970
33/20
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1969
33/21
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1969-1970
33/22
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1970
33/23
Custodial Services and Landscaping
1951-1969
33/24
Custodial: Committee Meetings
1969
34/1
Custodial: Corrected Document Copies
1969
34/2
Custodial: Subcommittee
1969
34/3
Development and Planning
1934-1961
34/4
Development and Planning
1961-1969
34/5
Development and Planning
1970-1995
34/6
Development and Planning
n.d.
34/7
Disneyland
1955-1957
34/8
Electrical Shop
1955-1966
34/9
Electrical Shop: Nema Standard Flood Layouts Guide
1949
34/10
Employment, Wages, Benefits and Labor
1950-1975
34/11
Employment, Wages, Benefits and Labor
1963-1974
34/12
Employment: Policies, Questionnaires, Forms
1952-1964
34/13
Ethnic Matters: African American, Chinese
1969-1995
34/14
Ethnic Matters: International, Interracial
1967-1995
34/15
Ethnic Matters: Japanese, Asian, Kurdish, Russian, Samoan, Asian Pacific
1959-1986
34/16
Ethnic Matters: Native Americans
1930-1995
34/17
Facilities: Maintenance
1912-1959
34/18
Facilities: Maintenance
1960-1986
34/19
Facilities: Maintenance
n.d.
34/20
Facilities: Maintenance
n.d.
35/1
Forward Thrust
1969-1974
35/2
Forward Thrust
1968-1980
35/3
Fremont Car Barn
1956-1973
35/4
Guide Maps
1956-1966
35/5
Guide Maps
1965
35/6
History: General Information
1939-1976
35/7
History: Great Fire
1982
35/8
History: Historic Places, Buildings, Landmarks, Preservation
1948-1985
35/9
History: Historic Places
1956-1969
35/10
History: Historic Places
1987-1996
35/11
History: Historic Places, Transportation
1955-1996
35/12
History: Klondike Gold Rush, Prohibition
1996
35/13
History: Oral
1983
35/14
History: Parks and Recreation
n.d.
35/15
History: Parks and Recreation
n.d.
35/16
History: Parks and Recreation
n.d.
35/17
History: Parks and Recreation
n.d.
35/18
History: Parks and Recreation
1931-1942
35/19
History: Parks and Recreation
1932-1942
35/20
History: Parks and Recreation
1951-1956
35/21
History: Parks and Recreation
1952
35/22
History: Parks and Recreation
1963-1968
35/23
History: Parks and Recreation
1970-1977
35/24
History: Parks and Recreation
1980-1996
35/25
History: Ships
1957-1996
36/1
History: Washington, King County
n.d.
36/2
History: Washington, King County, Landmarks Magazine
n.d.
36/3
Holidays: Christmas
n.d.
36/4
Holidays: Christmas
1942-1989
36/5
Holidays: Easter, Valentine's Day, Martin Luther King, Independence Day, Thanksgiving
1956-1975
36/6
Holidays: General
1947-1960
36/7
Holidays: Halloween
1944-1971
36/8
Holidays: Thanksgiving, Chinese New Year, Memorial Day, Moon Day
1969-1972
36/9
International Northwest Parks Association
1950
36/10
International Recreation Association
1954-1961
36/11
International Recreation Association
1962-1965
36/12
Interstate 90
1972
36/13
King County: Parks and Recreation
1972
36/14
King County: Parks and Recreation
1950-1957
36/15
King County: Parks and Recreation
1960-1965
36/16
King County: Parks and Recreation
1965-1994
36/17
King County: Parks and Recreation
1965
36/18
King County: Activities, Acquisitions, Operations
1960
36/19
King County: Annual Reports
1960-1964
36/20
King County: USO
n.d.
36/21
Logos, Parks Department
1955-1974
36/22
Machine Shop
n.d.
36/23
Mayors: B - C
1958-1969
36/24
Mayors: C - L
1928-1969
36/25
Mayors: G- U, General Information
1959-1995
36/26
Metro
1975-1995
36/27
Military
1974
36/28
Minutes, Various Parks Committees and Boards
1926-1994
36/29
Miscellaneous
1915-1959
36/30
Miscellaneous
n.d.
36/31
Miscellaneous
1960-1969
36/32
Miscellaneous
1969-1994
36/33
Mount Rainier
1916-1969
37/1
Museums
1994-1995
37/2
Museums
1952-1959
37/3
Museums
1963-1969
37/4
Museums
1970-1994
37/5
Museums: Post-Intelligencer, Wing Luke, General
1973-1995
37/6
Museums: Seattle Art Museum
1954-1956
37/7
Museums: Seattle Art Museum
1957-1995
37/8
Museums: Seattle Asian Art Museum, Children's Museum, Frye Art Museum, Museum of Flight
1953-1995
37/9
National Park Service
1966-1995
37/10
National Recreation Association
n.d.
37/11
National Recreation Association
n.d.
37/12
National Recreation Association
1929-1936
37/13
National Recreation Association
1930-1949
37/14
National Recreation Association
1930-1937
37/15
National Recreation Association
1932
37/16
National Recreation Association
1938
37/17
National Recreation Association
n.d.
37/18
National Recreation Association
1941
37/19
National Recreation Association
n.d.
37/20
National Recreation Association
1941-1948
37/21
National Recreation Association
1950-1952
37/22
National Recreation Association
1952
37/23
National Recreation Association
1953-1954
37/24
National Recreation Association
1953-1955
37/25
National Recreation Association
1956-1959
38/1
National Recreation Association
1960-1964
38/2
National Recreation Association
1960-1975
38/3
National Recreation Association
1962
38/4
National Recreation Association
1965-1969
38/5
National Recreation Association
1968
38/6
National Recreation Association
1968-1971
38/7
Newsletters: Division of Playgrounds, Department of Parks and Recreation
1945
38/8
Newsletters: Department of Parks and Recreation
1965-1996
38/9
Newsletters: Miscellaneous City Agencies
1964-1996
38/10
Newsletters: Encompass
1995-1996
38/11
Newsletters: Plenty
1975
38/12
Newsletters: Miscellaneous National Newsletters
1951-1966
38/13
Newsletters: Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1960-1964
38/14
Olmsted Brothers: Seattle Parks Design Materials
n.d.
38/15
Olmsted Brothers: Seattle Parks Design Materials
1903-1995
38/16
Olmsted Brothers: Seattle Parks Design Materials
1979-1983
38/17
Olmsted Brothers: Seattle Parks Design Materials
1979-1981
38/18
Open Space Program
1969-1970
38/19
Paint Shop
1985
38/20
Park Board: Miscellaneous
n.d.
38/21
Park Board: Miscellaneous
n.d.
38/22
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1910-1929
38/23
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1930-1949
39/1
Park Board: Conference Reports
1949
39/2
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1950-1952
39/3
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1953
39/4
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1954
39/5
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1955
39/6
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1956
39/7
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1956
39/8
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1957
39/9
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1958
39/10
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1959
39/11
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1959
39/12
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1960
39/13
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1960
39/14
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1961
39/15
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1962
39/16
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1963-1964
39/17
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1965-1969
40/1
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1970-1979
40/2
Park Board: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings
1916-1930
40/3
Park: Church
1956-1969
40/4
Park: Scene (Newsletter)
1959
40/5
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1929-1937
40/6
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1940-1949
40/7
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1949
40/8
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1950-1954
40/9
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1955-1959
40/10
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1960-1961
40/11
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
1965-1972
40/12
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
n.d.
40/13
Parks and Schools: Relationship and Cooperation
n.d.
40/14
Pets: Animals and the Parks
1956-1975
40/15
Pioneer Square: Improvements, Totem Pole, Comfort Stations
1911-1939
40/16
Pioneer Square: Improvements, Totem Pole, Comfort Stations
1940-1959
40/17
Pioneer Square: Improvements, Totem Pole, Comfort Stations
1960-1969
40/18
Pioneer Square: Improvements, Totem Pole, Comfort Stations
1970-1995
40/19
Pioneer Square: Newspaper, Guide
1994
40/20
Pioneer Square: Improvements, Totem Pole, Comfort Stations
n.d.
40/21
Planning: Architects, Buildings
1953-1974
40/22
Planning: Highways, Dams, Schools
1954-1970
40/23
Planning: Miscellaneous
1954-1975
40/24
Planning: People
1971
41/1
Planning: Recreation
1961-1969
41/2
Planning: Recreation
n.d.
41/3
Planning: Recreation
1930-1939
41/4
Planning: Recreation
1944-1954
41/5
Planning: Recreation
1955-1959
41/6
Planning: Recreation
1961-1969
41/7
Planning: Recreation
1972
41/8
Planning: Recreation
1953
41/9
Planning: Recreation
1934-1963
41/10
Planning: Recreation, Environment
1932-1994
41/11
Planning: Science and Technology
n.d.
41/12
Planning: Youth
1961
41/13
Planning: Youth
1961
41/14
Playground Reports
1925
41/15
Playground Reports
1925
41/16
Playground Reports
1926
41/17
Playground Reports
1927
41/18
Playground Reports
1930
41/19
Playground Reports
1931
41/20
Politics
1936-1970
41/21
Plumbing Shop
n.d.
41/22
Parent Teacher Association
1950-1957
41/23
Parent Teacher Association
1958-1959
41/24
Parent Teacher Association
1960-1964
41/25
Parent Teacher Association
1928-1970
42/1
Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Codes (Parks)
1947-1959
42/2
Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Codes (Parks)
1964-1966
42/3
Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Codes (Parks)
n.d.
42/4
Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Codes (Parks)
n.d.
42/5
Procedures, Guidelines, Booklets
1939-1959
42/6
Procedures, Guidelines, Booklets
1911-1946
42/7
Procedures, Guidelines, Booklets
1917-1940
42/8
Public Schools
1947-1994
42/9
Public Schools
1958-1969
42/10
Public Schools: General Information, High Schools, Swim Meets
1961-1984
42/11
Public Works Unit
1984-1985
42/12
Recreation: COMPLAN
1993
42/13
Recreation: Policies
n.d.
42/14
Recreation: Policies
1950
42/15
Recreation: Policies
1940-1981
42/16
Recreation: Policies and Departmental Organization
1952-1960
42/17
Recreation: Survey of Facilities
1928
43/1
Red Cross
1965-1973
43/2
Religion: Recreation
1953-1967
43/3
Religion: Catholic -- Recreation
1959-1974
43/4
Religion: Christian Science, Christ Church, Congregational, Mormons--Recreation
1953-1974
43/5
Religion: Islam, Council of Churches, Presbyterian, Judaism -- Recreation
1953-1970
43/6
Reports: City Employees Retirement System
1977
43/7
Reports: General
1940-1962
43/8
Reports: General, Recreation Conference
1930
43/9
Reports: General, State Parks and Recreation Commission
1962
43/10
Reports: General, State Parks and Recreation Progress Reports
1950-1960
43/11
Reports: General, Services, Facilities, Older People, Washington
1962
43/12
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1923-1926
43/13
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1927-1929
43/14
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1930-1931
43/15
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1931-1932
43/16
Reports: Weekly, Field House
n.d.
43/17
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1939-1944
43/18
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1933-1936
43/19
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1937-1938
43/20
Reports: Weekly, Field House
1938-1939
44/1
Retirement
1958-1988
44/2
Science
1966-1976
44/3
Seattle Tourism and Recreation
n.d.
44/4
Seattle Tourism and Recreation
n.d.
44/5
Seattle Tourism and Recreation
1959-1967
44/6
Seattle Tourism and Recreation
1971-1994
44/7
Seattle Tourism and Recreation
1964-1966
44/8
Seattle: Election Scrapbook
1969
44/9
Seattle: Election
1984-1993
44/10
Seattle Public Library
1960-1989
44/11
Seattle Pacific University
1953-1971
44/12
Senior Citizens
1950-1952
44/13
Senior Citizens
1960-1966
44/14
Senior Citizens
1966-1969
44/15
Senior Citizens
1970-1995
44/16
Senior Citizens: Lee Home Program
1966
44/17
Senior Citizens: Senior Adult Programs
1995
44/18
Summer Notebook Activities
1942-1968
44/19
Summer Notebook Activities
1939-1995
44/20
Summer Notebook Activities, Playground Leaders
1967
44/21
Totem Poles, Belvedere Park, Pioneer Square, Alaska, Admiral Way
1958-1994
44/22
Traffic
1937-1970
45/1
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
n.d.
45/2
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
n.d.
45/3
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
n.d.
45/4
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
n.d.
45/5
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
1927-1956
45/6
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
1958-1975
45/7
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
1953-1954
45/8
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
1929-1943
45/9
Training Materials: Recreation Programs
1979
45/10
Transportation
1995
45/11
Trees: Parks and Street Trees
1966-1995
45/12
Trees: Parks and Street Trees
1951-1968
45/13
Trees: Parks and Street Trees
n.d.
45/14
University of Washington
1967-1984
45/15
University of Washington
n.d.
45/16
University of Washington
1934-1965
45/17
University of Washington
1968-1996
45/18
Warehouse Services Unit
n.d.
45/19
Volunteers
1953-1969
45/20
Washington State Recreation Society
1960-1963
45/21
Washington State Recreation Society
1950-1959
45/22
Washington State Recreation Society
1964
46/1
Washington State Recreation Society
1964-1969
46/2
Washington State Recreation Society
1970-1976
46/3
Washington State Recreation Society
1976-1977
46/4
Washington State Recreation Society: Bulletin
1984
46/5
Washington State Recreation Society: Bulletin
1984
46/6
Washington State University
1953-1963
46/7
Water
n.d.
46/8
Weyerhaeuser
1969-1995
46/9
White House Conference on Children and Youth
1958-1960
46/10
Work Load: Planning, Scheduling
n.d.

Subseries VIII :  People, 1900-1995Return to Top

1.6 cubic ft.

This subseries contains biographical sketches, news clippings, resumes, obituaries, and correspondence (including letters of recommendation), primarily relating to Parks Department staff; also included are files on other City employees, prominent Seattle residents, University of Washington officials, and leaders in state and national recreation organization. The most extensive files are on Ben Evans and Don Sherwood.

Files are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the person.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
46/11
Abbott, H. T.
1962
46/12
Aizstrauts, Arne
1959-1984
46/13
Alexander, Paul and Mildred
n.d.
46/14
Anderson, Clayton
1963
46/15
Anderson, Elmer
n.d.
46/16
Armstrong, Roy A.
1958-1971
46/17
Arthur, Robert
1964
46/18
Ball, Willis L.
1969
46/19
Barry, Lowell
1968
46/20
Beck, Dave
1984
46/21
Berger, Harold
1972-1980
46/22
Bishop, William A.
n.d.
46/23
Block, Robert J., Dorothy and Nancy
1959-1964
46/24
Block, Rudolph
n.d.
46/25
Bounds, Richard E.
1964-1969
46/26
Boyd, Eugene
1948-1985
46/27
Braden, George W.
1948-1971
46/28
Braman, James D., Jr.
1964-1969
46/29
Branstetter, Irvin
1958
46/30
Braucher, Howard
1949
46/31
Brougham, Royal
1962-1982
46/32
Brown, Hilton U.
1951-1953
46/33
Brown, Paul V.
1949-1964
46/34
Butler, George
1962-1965
46/35
Carlson, Ernest V.
1937-1967
46/36
Carlson, Hazel
n.d.
46/37
Casler, Paul
1994
46/38
Clark, John A.
n.d.
46/39
Claypoole, Jack (Mrs.)
n.d.
46/40
Collins, Gilbert W.
n.d.
46/41
Colman, Kenneth B.
n.d.
46/42
Cooper, Fred
1955
46/43
Cross, Tom
n.d.
46/44
Dahl, Waldo J.
1961-1972
46/45
Dahl, Waldo J.
1941-1957
46/46
Daily, Leo
n.d.
46/47
Dauncey, Helen
1954
46/48
Day, John
n.d.
46/49
DeTurk, Charles A.
1953-1967
46/50
Dimmich, William J
1969
46/51
Donohoe, M. D.
1961
46/52
Duncan, John W.
n.d.
46/53
Durgan, Chuck
n.d.
46/54
Ebright, Ky
1979
46/55
Edwards, Myrtle
1958
46/56
Ellis, James
1980
46/57
Ellis, Neil
n.d.
46/58
Ellis, Neil
1900-1929
46/59
Ellis, Neil
1930-1950
46/60
England, Bob
1969
47/1
Eppley, Garret G.
n.d.
47/2
Erickson, Allen
1954
47/3
Evans, Ben
n.d.
47/4
Evans, Ben
1912-1923
47/5
Evans, Ben
1937-1957
47/6
Evans, Ben
1960-1968
47/7
Evans, Ben
1970-1988
47/8
Evans, Lou
1920-1957
47/9
Evans, Lou
1962-1977
47/10
Everest, H. P.
1963-1967
47/11
Everly, Robert E.
1960
47/12
Fahey, George E.
1958-1962
47/13
Finley, John H.
1940
47/14
Fouts, Margaret
1970
47/15
Fuller, Richard E.
1926-1973
47/16
Gallaher, Adrian W.
1930
47/17
Galer, Robert E.
1961
47/18
Gamble, Robert R.
n.d.
47/19
Garber, George B.
1954
47/20
Gerneff, Arne
n.d.
47/21
Gibbs, James A.
1950-1971
47/22
Glenn, John H. Jr.
1962
47/23
Goss, Lyle E.
1947-1993
47/24
Graham, Cecil
1964
47/25
Graves, Tubby
1959
47/26
Green, Joshua
1969-1975
47/27
Groups of Administrators: Photocopy of Photos
1909-1958
47/28
Groups of Administrators
n.d.
47/29
Groups of Administrators
1930-1973
47/30
Hamblen, Laurence E.
1949-1962
47/31
Hamlin, Laura
1968
47/32
Harlin, Robert H.
n.d.
47/33
Harper, Guy C.
1952
47/34
Harrison, Cliff
1965
47/35
Haslam, Cameron
1963
47/36
Hayes, Willard L.
1949
47/37
Henricksen, Fred
1962
47/38
Hollingbery, Orin E. (Babe)
1963
47/39
Hovland, Al
1989-1990
47/40
Hovis, Watson B. and Smith, Richard A.
n.d.
47/41
Hoyt, Raymond E.
1957
47/42
Hudson, Harry E.
1963
47/43
Hull, Bradford M.
1953
47/44
Hutchinson, Fred
1965-1975
47/45
Jacobson, Bert
n.d.
47/46
Jensen, Ethel
n.d.
47/47
Johnson, Edward
1955-1961
47/48
Johnston, Harold W.
1969
47/49
Karlin, Wally
1970
47/50
Kelly, Edwin J.
1958
47/51
Keyser, Charles
1962-1963
47/52
Kinnear, George
1993
47/53
Kunde, Norman I.
1962
47/54
Langlie, Arthur B. (Governor)
1953-1966
47/55
Lantz, Thomas W.
1962-1963
47/56
Lassen, Leo H.
1969
47/57
Lavoie, Robert J.
n.d.
47/58
Lee, Joseph
1938
47/59
Lee, Susan
1954
47/60
Lemere, Madeline
1961
47/61
Lensch, Dorothea
1954-1962
47/62
Levine, David
1952
47/63
Levy, Sol G.
1950-1962
47/64
Lictenberger, Raleigh R.
n.d.
47/65
Lies, Eugene T.
1954
47/66
Livingston, Anne
n.d.
47/67
Lopp, Alice M.
1937
47/68
Lovell, Ann
1968-1969
47/69
Lynch, Slim
1963
47/70
Madison, Helene
1933-1970
47/71
Mallery, Otto T.
1957
47/72
Mantz, Freda B.
1956-1964
48/1
Marble, Dale
1952-1962
48/2
Markov, Victor W.
n.d.
48/3
Mather, Stephen
n.d.
48/4
Matthys, Fred
n.d.
48/5
McBride, Ella
n.d.
48/6
McCurdy, Horrace
1963
48/7
McDermott, Mary
1955-1960
48/8
McGale, Dornatt J.
n.d.
48/9
McGinnis, William J.
1973
48/10
Meisnest, Darwin
n.d.
48/11
Michael, Clark E.
1955
48/12
Miller, Dorothy
n.d.
48/13
Momoda, Ron
1995
48/14
Morrison, Howell O. (Mr. and Mrs.)
1962
48/15
Munson, Richard M.
1922
48/16
Musselman, Virginia
1949-1962
48/17
Nash, Jay B.
1965
48/18
Nesbitt, George
n.d.
48/19
Newman, Everett
n.d.
48/20
Noble, Mildred
1951-1968
48/21
Nollan, Bill
1976
48/22
Odegaard, Charles E.
1963-1979
48/23
Odion, Nancy
1950
48/24
Oglebay, Crispin
1949
48/25
Olmsted, Natalie
1937-1970
48/26
Parsons, Reginald H.
1945
48/27
Parsons, William H.
n.d.
48/28
Pastrouich, Donna Baker
1965
48/29
Patterson, Elva
1980-1988
48/30
Pedersen, Godfred
1954-1981
48/31
Peeler, Ruth
1952-1954
48/32
Perry, Arthur L.
1974
48/33
Phelps, Don
n.d.
48/34
Phelps, Archie
1938-1954
48/35
Pike, Ruth
1962
48/36
Pond, William B
n.d.
48/37
Post, Bill
1970
48/38
Powell, James H.
1968
48/39
Powell, Pearl
n.d.
48/40
Powell, Pearl
1948-1961
48/41
Powell, Pearl
1962-1969
48/42
Powell, Pearl
1969
48/43
Preece, Marion
1956
48/44
Prendergast, Jo seph
1950
48/45
Putnam, Edward V.
1961-1956
48/46
Quirk, Mary
1961
48/47
Richardson, W. A.
1961
48/48
Rindt, Anne
1930
48/49
Robinson, Herb
1969
48/50
Rockefeller, John D.
1960
48/51
Rodney, Lynn. S.
1949
48/52
Rogers, James E.
1949-1959
48/53
Rosellini, Albert D. (Governor)
1962-1963
48/54
Rosen, Kermit
1953
48/55
Ross, Florence
1949-1963
48/56
Sandvigen, Gilbert T.
1937-1969
48/57
Scholl, George
1965-1970
48/58
Schroeder, Charles R.
1970
48/59
Schutt, Irene W.
1964
48/60
Scott, Arthur
1959
48/61
Scripp, Ellen B.
1932
48/62
Sears, Herb
n.d.
48/63
Sedgwick, Tom
1954-1972
48/64
Sherwood, Donald
1970-1981
48/65
Shumard, W. H.
1949-1957
48/66
Shumard, W. H.
1961-1962
48/67
Shumard, W. H.
1962-1981
48/68
Sieg, Lee Paul and Gretchen
1963
48/69
Smith, Al
1972
48/70
Smith, George
1971
48/71
Snellenberg, Wally
n.d.
48/72
Snellenberg, Wally
n.d.
48/73
Snellenberg, Wally
1936-1984
49/1
Snellenberg, Wally
1939-1953
49/2
Soltani, Riza
1963-1986
49/3
Soriano, Dewey
n.d.
49/4
Spaeth, Evelyn
1967
49/5
Spring, Evelyn L.
1962-1968
49/6
Stern, Gustave
1951-1957
49/7
Stern, Sigmund (Mrs.)
1956
49/8
Sternberg, Brian
1966
49/9
Stone, Willard B.
n.d.
49/10
Stroyan, Phil B.
1960-1961
49/11
Sullivan , Charles
1966
49/12
Sullivan, Leo
1965
49/13
Sylvester, Jack
1993
49/14
Thompson, Hans A.
1965-1971
49/15
Thompson, John
1975
49/16
Thorgrimson, O. B.
1960
49/17
Tiffin, Charles
n.d.
49/18
Titsworth, Grant
1960
49/19
Torney, Jack
1959
49/20
Torrance, Roscoe
1973
49/21
Tsuchiya, Herbert
1970
49/22
Tveten, Jan
1979
49/23
Umlaff, Jacob
1941-1970
49/24
Vance, William E.
1971
49/25
Vanderzicht, John R.
1961
49/26
Varnell, George M.
1967
49/27
Vincenzi, Frank
1961-1984
49/28
Viney, Hessel G.
1950-
49/29
Watts, Ed
1984
49/30
Weir, Lerbert
1949
49/31
Welch, Douglass
1955-1964
49/32
Whittaker, James Mrs.
1963
49/33
Williams, Arthur
1963
49/34
Williams, Vernon J.
n.d.
49/35
Wilson, L. J.
n.d.
49/36
Wirth, Conrad
1946-1958
49/37
Witter, Stanley G.
1958-1962
49/38
Wright, Thomas C.
1957
49/39
Wyse, George D.
1965

Subseries IX:  Regional, National, and International Recreation Programs, 1904-1994Return to Top

0.6 cubic ft.

The subseries Regional, National, and International Recreation Programs contains news clippings, journal articles, correspondence, brochures, pamphlets, guides, maps and annual reports relating to recreation programs and facilities around the world. The most extensive files are of programs and facilities in Washington State.

The files on facilities in the United States are arranged alphabetically by state. Following these, the files on international programs are arranged alphabetically by country.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
49/40
Alaska
1960
49/41
California: Altadena-Lake Tahoe
1940-1980
49/42
California: Los Angeles-Oakland
1919-1962
49/43
California: Pasadena-Whittier
1940-1963
49/44
California: Bakersfield
1941
49/45
California: Bakersfield
1942
49/46
California: Claremont
1942
49/47
Colorado: Denver
1955
49/48
Florida
1954
49/49
Hawaii
1961
49/50
Idaho
1960
49/51
Illinois
1962
49/52
Illinois: Chicago
1904
49/53
Illinois: Chicago
1904-1913
49/54
Illinois: Chicago
1938-1959
49/55
Illinois: Chicago
1960-1961
49/56
Illinois: Chicago
1961
50/1
Illinois: Chicago
1961-1964
50/2
Illinois: Chicago
1965-1980
50/3
Illinois: Chicago Park District Administrative Bulletin
1975-1976
50/4
Illinois: Chicago Park District Annual Report
1952
50/5
Illinois: Chicago Photos
n.d.
50/6
Indiana
n.d.
50/7
Iowa: Ames
1955
50/8
Louisiana: New Orleans
1948
50/9
Maryland: Baltimore
1949
50/10
Massachusetts: Boston
1924
50/11
Michigan: Detroit
1950
50/12
Michigan: Detroit
1955-1975
50/13
Michigan: Midland
n.d.
50/14
Michigan: Wayne County
1959
50/15
Minnesota: Minneapolis
1944-1952
50/16
Minnesota: Minneapolis
n.d.
50/17
Montana
1979
50/18
New York
1924-1958
50/19
North Carolina: Burlington
1947
50/20
Ohio
1945-1958
50/21
Oregon
n.d.
50/22
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
1953-1967
50/23
Tennessee
n.d.
50/24
Texas
1915-1952
50/25
Virginia: Fairfax County
n.d.
50/26
Washington
1976
50/27
Washington: Bellevue
n.d.
50/28
Washington: Birch Bay State Park
1978
50/29
Washington: Blake Island State Park
1979
50/30
Washington: Bremerton: Parks and Recreation Department Annual Report
1964
50/31
Washington: Brooks Environmental Learning Center
1979
50/32
Washington: Camano Island State Park
1979
50/33
Washington: Clarkston County
n.d.
50/34
Washington: Cowlitz County
1966
50/35
Washington: Curlew Lake State Park
1978
50/36
Washington: Dungeness Park
1994
50/37
Washington: Gold Creek Park
1966
50/38
Washington: Kitsap County
n.d.
50/39
Washington: Lewis and Clark State Park
1979
50/40
Washington: Mount Baker National Forest: Monte Cristo
n.d.
50/41
Washington: Mount Rainier National Park
1962
50/42
Washington: Mount Spokane State Park
1978
50/43
Washington: Ocean Beaches
1978
50/44
Washington: Orcas Island
1985
50/45
Washington: Orcas Island: Moran State Park
1979
51/1
Washington: Osoyoos Lake
1979
51/2
Washington: Pierce County
1960-1982
51/3
Washington: Rockport State Park
1978-1979
51/4
Washington: Scenic Beach State Park
n.d.
51/5
Washington: Seattle: Ballard
1985
51/6
Washington: Snohomish County
1969
51/7
Washington: Snoqualmie Valley
n.d.
51/8
Washington: Spokane
n.d.
51/9
Washington: Stuart, Jones, and Posey Islands
1978
51/10
Washington: Tacoma
1953-1960
51/11
Washington: Yakima
n.d.
51/12
West Virginia
1950
51/13
Wisconsin: Glacier National Park
n.d.
51/14
Wisconsin: Milwaukee
1952-1958
51/15
Midwest Region, National Park Service Areas
n.d.
51/16
South Central Camping
1977
51/17
Various Cities
1952
51/18
Various Cities
1954-1977
51/19
Canada: British Columbia
n.d.
51/20
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver
n.d.
51/21
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver
1953-1959
51/22
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Map
n.d.
51/23
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Parks Department Annual Report
1964
51/24
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Parks Department Annual Report
1977
51/25
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Parks Department Annual Report
1978
51/26
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Parks Department Annual Report
1980
51/27
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Parks Department Annual Report
1982
51/28
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Song
1940
51/29
Canada: British Columbia - Vancouver - Stanley Park
n.d.
51/30
Canada: British Columbia - Victoria
1959
51/31
Canada: Quebec - Montreal
n.d.
51/32
Canada: Western Canada - Accomodation - National Parks
1975
51/33
Mexico
n.d.
51/34
New Zealand
1953
51/35
Soviet Union
1961

Subseries X:  Notebooks, ca. 1923-1962Return to Top

0.2 cubic ft.

There are three small notebooks in this subseries. The bulk of the information in the notebooks covers the years 1923 to 1932. The notebooks contain notes on Parks Recreation programs and facilities, such as games, statistics on attendance, and improvements made. Other notes relate to conferences and information on recreation programs.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
51/36
Notebooks
1927-1962
51/37
Notebook
1923-1932

Subseries XI:  Photographs, 1917-1984Return to Top

0.8 cubic ft.

This subseries includes over 300 photographs of Parks Department employees and facilities, sporting events and contests on Seattle’s playgrounds, facilities and parks leaders from other cities, and images of Ben Evans.

The box numbers for photographs do not follow sequentially the boxes for the Ben Evans textual records. This reflects the photographs' placement within the entire photograph collection of the Seattle Municipal Archives.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
160/1
Harold T. Abbott
1959
160/2
Alki Beach and Fieldhouse
n.d.
160/3
Aqua Theater, Green Lake
n.d.
160/4
Aqua Theater, Green Lake
1950, n.d.
160/5
Aqua Theater, Green Lake
n.d.
160/6
Aqua Theater, Green Lake
n.d.
160/7
Roy A. Armstrong
n.d.
160/8
Ballard Playground
n.d.
160/9
Baseball
1923-1925, n.d.
160/10
Basketball
n.d.
160/11
Basketball
1946-1947
160/12
Basketball
1917, n.d.
160/13
Boeing Basketball
n.d.
160/14
Eugene Boyd
n.d.
160/15
Broadway Playfield
1947
160/16
Paul V. Brown
n.d.
160/17
Bubblegum Blowing
n.d.
160/18
Butte, Montana
n.d.
160/19
California
n.d.
160/20
California
n.d.
160/21
California
n.d.
160/22
California
n.d.
160/23
Camp Lawton
n.d.
160/24
Camp Long
n.d.
160/25
Hazel Carlson
1965, n.d.
160/26
Carpenter Shop, Parks Department
n.d.
160/27
Cascade Playground
1937
160/28
Checkers
n.d.
160/29
Collins Playfield
n.d.
160/30
Colman Pool
n.d.
160/31
Waldo J. Dahl
1969, n.d.
160/32
Dance: Participating Classes
n.d.
160/33
Delridge Overpass
n.d.
160/34
John W. Duncan
1941, n.d.
160/35
Ben Evans
1935-1953, n.d.
160/36
Ben Evans
1948-1968, n.d.
160/37
Lou Evans
n.d.
160/38
Evans Pool
n.d.
160/39
W.E. Everts - Boise, Idaho
1961
160/40
Facilities, Unidentified
1935, n.d.
160/41
Field Houses
n.d.
160/42
Fishing
n.d.
160/43
Football
n.d.
160/44
Froula Playground
n.d.
160/45
Girl Scouts
n.d.
160/46
Golf
n.d.
160/47
Green Lake
n.d.
160/48
Laurence R. Hamblen
n.d.
160/49
Cameron Haslam
n.d.
160/50
Hiawatha
n.d.
160/51
Hughes (E.C.) Playfield
n.d.
160/52
Jefferson Park
n.d.
160/53
Jefferson Park
n.d.
160/54
Jefferson Park
1913-1936
160/55
Jefferson Park
1911-1914, n.d.
160/56
Jackson Park - Chicago, Illinois
n.d.
160/57
Mount Rainier
n.d.
161/1
Charles Paul Keyser, President - American Institute of Park Executives
n.d.
161/2
King County Parks and Recreation
1935, n.d.
161/3
King County USO
n.d.
161/4
Kite Flying Contests
n.d.
161/5
Norman F. Kunde
n.d.
161/6
Thomas W. Lantz - Tacoma
n.d.
161/7
Laurelhurst Community Center
n.d.
161/8
Joseph Lee
n.d.
161/9
Dorothea Lensch -- Portland, OR
1949
161/10
Alice Lopp
n.d.
161/11
Loyal Heights
n.d.
161/12
Helene Madison
1949
161/13
Madrona Beach
n.d.
161/14
Medgar Evers Swimming Pool
n.d.
161/15
National Recreation Association
1956-1960, n.d.
161/16
National Recreation Association, George D. Butler
n.d.
161/17
Nogeyama Park, Yokohama, Japan - Seattle Roses
1932
161/18
Charles E. Odegaard
1961-1966
161/19
Old Ossie
n.d.
161/20
Old Woody
1924, n.d.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Athletic fields--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Camps--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Parks--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Playgrounds--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Recreation--Washington (State)--Seattle--Management
  • Sports & recreation facilities--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Sports--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Swimming pools--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Youth organizations--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Zoos--Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Evans, Ben, 1895-1988 (collector)

Corporate Names

  • Boy Scouts of America
  • Girl Scouts of the United States of America
  • Young Men's Christian Association (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Young Women's Christian Association of the U.S.A.

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographs

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Seattle (Wash.). Department of Parks and Recreation (creator)