Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Fort Lawton History Collection, 1862-1995

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash). Dept. of Parks and Recreation
Title
Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Fort Lawton History Collection
Dates
1862-1995 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.2 cubic feet, (3 boxes)
Collection Number
5801-04
Summary
Documents concerning the history of Fort Lawton and a reminiscence of a World War II German POW.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the City's parks, shorelines, and boulevards; and administers community centers, public golf courses, and other athletic and cultural facilities. Seattle's first park was established in 1884 after David Denny donated land to the City for that purpose. At that time, a three-member park committee, with limited authority, was created to manage the nascent park system. A Board of Parks Commissioners was established in 1890 with control over all public parks and authority to appoint a Parks Superintendent. In 1896, the City Charter created the position of Superintendent of Streets, Sewers and Parks. The Parks Department became a separate entity in 1904. In 1926, a City Charter amendment abolished the position of Superintendent, distributing its responsibilities between the Head Gardener and the Landscape Architect. A 1948 City Charter amendment required the Board of Park Commissioners to appoint a park superintendent to administer the department. In 1967, another City Charter Amendment reconstituted the Board as an advisory body to the Mayor and City Council, changed the agency name to Department of Parks and Recreation, and placed fiscal and operational administration under the superintendent. In 1902 the City hired the Olmsted Brothers, the country's premier landscape architectural firm, to design a parks and boulevards system. Although not all of the plan was implemented, the Olmsted legacy is evident in many of Seattle's parks and boulevards. The City acquired significant amounts of property for park purposes following the turn of the 20th Century, but in 1926 further acquisition was limited by a City Charter amendment that stipulated only money in the Park Fund could be used for that purpose. However, in the 1970s the Forward Thrust Bond issue, along with federal grants and the Seattle Model City Program, supported the largest expansion of the Park system in Seattle history. These programs funded more than 70 new parks and park facilities. The Department manages over 6,000 acres of park land, over two dozen community centers, five municipal golf courses, the Aquarium, and many other recreational and athletic facilities.

534-acre Discovery Park occupies the northwestern part of Magnolia Bluff. The site was originally selected for the construction of an artillery battery in the late 1890s. Fort Lawton opened in 1900 and was soon converted to infantry use. During World War II the fort saw active duty as a staging center and prisoner of war camp, but was underused after the war. By the 1970s, much of the fort's land was turned over to the City of Seattle to become Discovery Park. The best preserved collection of early Fort Lawton buildings was declared a landmark district in 1988. Discovery Park is also home to a Native American center, the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, which opened in 1977.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Copies of historical documents from the National Archives and other sources concerning the establishment and history of Fort Lawton. Also included is a written reminiscence by a former German POW who was incarcerated at Fort Lawton during World War II, together with copies of photographs taken during his incarceration.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Fort Lawton History Collection , Record Series 5801-04. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

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

5801-04:  Fort Lawton History Collection , 1862-1995Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Wilhelm Muller Reminiscence re Fort Lawton, Including Letters
1946-1987
1/2
Wilhelm Muller's Photographs (Copies)
1943-1947
1/3
Letter, Edward J. Phillips, Fort Lawton, to Corpl H.C. Bush
1903
1/4
Letter From Lacey Historical Museum
1995
1/5
Letter, William H. Freeman to Fred Mann
1976
1/6
War Department Documents re Fort Lawton (NARA Copies)
1886-1895
1/7
War Department Documents re Fort Lawton (NARA Copies)
1896
1/8
War Department Documents re Fort Lawton (NARA Copies)
1897
1/9
War Department Documents re Fort Lawton (NARA Copies)
1898
1/10
War Department Documents re Fort Lawton (NARA Copies)
1900-1916
1/11
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies) - Exposed Points On Frontier
1862
1/12
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies) - Fortifications Of Puget Sound
1888
1/13
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies) - Otis Report
1895
1/14
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies)
1885-1886
1/15
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies)
1894-1895
1/16
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies)
1896
1/17
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies)
1897
1/18
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies)
1898
2/1
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies)
1900-1916
2/2
Fort Lawton Army Documents (Copies) - Annual Report, Secretary of War
1894-1916
2/3
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Seattle Chamber of Commerce
1886
2/4
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Seattle Chamber of Commerce Minutes
1894-1899
2/5
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Army Post Fund Cash Book
1896-1897
2/6
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Miscellaneous Army Correspondence
1898-1912
2/7
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - General Land Office Field Notes
1886
2/8
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Title Information
1890-1896
2/9
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - USCGS Descriptive Report, Shilshole Bay to Alki Point
1899
2/10
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Report On Grounds
1907
2/11
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Chittenden
1980-1908
2/12
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Olmsted, John C.
1910
2/13
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Army Judge Advocate General re Title, Jurisdiction
1907
2/14
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Post Description
1900
2/15
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - History
1909
2/16
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Margaret Strachan Manuscript
undated
2/17
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Lawrence L. Pike History
1957
2/18
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Cowell and Anonymous, Histories
undated
2/19
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Walker History
1970
2/20
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Sound Defender, History of Fort Lawton
1970
2/21
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - D. Sherwood Notes and Water Dept. History
undated
2/22
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Guides to Fort Lawton
1926-1963
2/23
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Kiley, Park Plan
1972
2/24
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Feasibility Study
1974
2/25
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Fort Lawton, A Record
undated
2/26
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - National Register and Site Survey Forms
1950-1984
3/1
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Donald Vorhees, Background Information
undated
3/2
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Historic Preservation and Fort Lawton Buildings
1978
3/3
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - League of Women Voters and Magnolia Community Club
1978
3/4
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - Seattle Community Development Comments re Fort Lawton Nomination
1978
3/5
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - NPS Preliminary Case Report
1978
3/6
Fort Lawton Reports (Copies) - William H. Freeman Dissertation (Excerpt)
1974
3/7
Deeds (Copies)
1897-1898
3/8
Oversized Aerials
1970-1979
3/9
Oversized Aerials
1970-1979

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Discovery Park (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Fort Lawton (Seattle, Wash.)
  • World War, 1939-1945 Prisoners and prisons

Corporate Names

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

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Snapshots