Steilacoom's Lt Peter Puget Memorial Project

Steilacoom is building a a large community support team to create possibly three historical reader boards along significant sites overlooking Balch Passage, Ketron Island and Carr Inlet. Mayor Ron Lucas, Nancy Henderson, City counsel and French Wetmore, President of the Steilacoom History Museum are the front runners on the project with Barbara Reid as a historical consultant. Steilacoom has four possible sites to choose from:
1, The Museum Patio over looking Carr Inlet
2. Pioneer Park overlooking Balch Passage
3. Saltars Point overlooking Ketron Island and Balch Passage
4. Sunnyside Park on the water overlooking Ketron to Fox Island.

Site locations will be decided, artistic design team and writing teams have been decided and many future meetings await us. This is very exciting. Nancy Covert has posted an article about the project in the Suburban Times Paper for Pierce County. Thank you Nancy Covert for your interest and support. The Suburban Times

For me, Barbara Reid, it is extremely exciting to have the towns of Steilacoom and Allyn wanting to create Memorials to Honor Lt Peter Puget's Exploration Party and interestingly, both locations had the rare exchange with not only the Puget Party plying their waters but Captain Vancouver also surveyed both areas and camped. Thank you all for helping bring my vision into reality. Most important is to Honor, Memorialize and to Celebrate these historic explorers and their accomplishments in May 1792.

Case Inlet and Allyn, WA.

On March 2, 2015 I presented the historical facts of Captain Vancouver and Lt Puget's separate explorations of Case Inlet to the Port of Allyn Commissioners and some local residents. Everyone was excited and found their newly discovered history was important and impressive. Allyn, like Steilacoom, are small communities filled with Pioneer history, but not aware of their British history which took place in May 1792 with the Voyage of Discovery when Lt Peter Puget, Joseph Whidbey, Archibald Menzies and Lt. Thomas Manby and 16 oarsmen, rowed throughout the southern waters in search of the NW Passage. Puget and his party explored Case Inlet and camped at Sherwood Creek for breakfast on May 24,1792. On a separate exploration by Captain Vancouver and Lt. Joseph Baker in the Captain's yawl, they explored Case Inlet on May 28, 1792 and dined for their main meal at 4 PM in the area of Allyn. They retraced their route down Case Inlet and later that evening joined the second vessel of their party, headed by Lt. James Johnstone. On May 29, 1792 the two vessels returned to the HMS Discovery which was anchored near Restoration Point, Bainbridge Island. Late that night Captain Vancouver de-briefed Lt Puget and Mr. Menzies. It was at this time Captain Vancouver officially named the southern waters, Puget's Sound in honor of his dedicated Lieutenant.

I found the Port of Allyn to be an ideal location for a memorial, with its dock, covered pavilion, toilets, ample parking and picnic tables.

As I ventured down the road, to view Sherwood Creek, I serendipitously discovered a small park
near the mouth of the creek. This is where Lt Puget reports they camped for breakfast and seined for salmon. This site already has historical reader boards and a new Puget Memorial would enhance the park's role in the Cascadia Marine Trail. The signs are made of powder coated metal. The site while small has parking, picnic tables, toilet and beach access.

The possibility of creating Memorials in Allyn is delightful. The setting could not be more perfect, the community is excited and I am jumping up and down with enthusiasm. To think that it took me 2 years to connect the dots on this site. I almost missed it. We can't let this opportunity slip through any more lost time. We can make this happen. What do you think, Allyn? Joyce Bosley writes for the North Bay Review and is posting an article this month.North Bay Review.