Steilacoom Installs New Memorial Signage

The Peter Puget Memorial Project is very happy to see the new signage installation erected at 2 Steilacoom City Parks of Pioneer Orchard Park and Saltars Point Park. These new Memorials honor the Voyage of Discovery, Captain George Vancouver and Lt Peter Puget's exploration of the southern waters of Puget Sound in May 1792.

Historic Waters is at Pioneer Orchard Park

Crossroads of Discovery is at Saltars Point Park.

There are so many people to thank on this project. Mayor of Steilacoom, Ron Lucas gave the go ahead from the first meeting back in Nov 2014. City Council Member-Nancy Henderson, Native Indian Artist-Carol Geidel, Jenny Roholt-Graphic Designer, WinsorFireform in Tumwater WA. who constructed the permanent signage and the Steilacoom Parks Department for the final installation. I am very grateful for everyone's participation, enthusiasm and dedication to documenting Steilacoom's history.  A special thank you for Marine artists John Horton and Steve Mayo for permission to use their beautiful artwork  depicting the Voyage of Discovery.                                                                                                               

Steilacoom Historical Museum Association

The Peter Puget Memorial Project is excited to report The Steilacoom Historical Museum Association (SHMA) revealed its new, beautiful, outdoor historical signages this month. This includes a special new tribute to Lt Peter Puget's Exploration of the South Sound which was part of Captain Vancouver's Voyage of Discovery in May 1792. From its vantage point of the outside deck one has sweeping western views of Carr Inlet, Balch Passage, Fox, McNeil, and Anderson Islands. Steve Mayo, a Bellingham, WA artist, who is famous for his Voyage of Discovery paintings, created this watercolor in 1979 which depicts the HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham anchored off Restoration Point, Bainbridge Island with Puget's small boats exploring. If you have never been to the museum or Steilacoom, make it a must place to see this summer. You'll be happy you did.  www.steilacoomhistorical.org
I'd like to thank Skip Dreps and the Burien NW Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America-NWPVA for their support in managing our fund raising monies. The monies the Puget Project collected were donated to SHMA for their Puget Memorial.

The Highs and Lows of Vancouver Notch

Hello Friends and Supporters of Vancouver Notch,

As you know my Vancouver Notch proposal was officially named by the Washington Board on Geographic Names 1 Dec 2015. The proposal then went to the US Board on Geographic Names for consideration. A special survey was performed by an outside surveying company to examine the coordinates of my original proposal which were determined by the WA Board on Geographic Names.  The surveyor determined that the Vancouver Notch coordinates were actually deeper within the Puyallup River Gap. 

The new coordinates were based on Puyallup Point and an unnamed summit above the South Puyallup River north of Round Pass. The center point between these two geographic peaks create the new coordinates of 46.824 N, -121.917 W. 

Unfortunately, the new coordinates place the feature on the western boundary line of a federally designated wilderness area of Mt. Rainier National Forest. see purple line on map.

Since New Names in Wilderness Areas are not allowed under both WA Board and US Board policies, my proposal was officially denied by both Boards as of January 3, 2017.

I learned so much in my journey to officially name a feature, met many amazing people, traveled deep into the site of the original coordinates at the confluence of the Mowich and Puyallup Rivers and continue to have great respect for Captain George Vancouver for recognizing the importance of the "abrupt division” in the southern foothills of Mt. Rainier. I thank Richard Blumenthal for introducing me to the Naming of Geographic Features and for Caleb Mackey at the WA Committee Geographic Names for assisting me in walking my proposal through the process.

I, along with many others will always refer to the “abrupt division” in our beautiful view of Mt Rainier and her foothills as, Vancouver Notch. Google continues to map it with the old coordinates. At least it is on one map-Google Earth, which is not a bad consolation prize.

A Long Lost Wooden Chest: Did It Belong to Captain Peter Puget?

Exciting News:

I have recently heard from a lady from Derbyshire England who states about 40 years ago a relative purchased at auction an old wooden chest with the Name Commissioner Puget engraved in brass on the top lid. She has recently inherited it and was interested if perhaps this chest could have belonged to Peter Puget. She found my blog and has sent some pictures. 

The chest is made of mahogany and is dated as 18th Century. The brass lid hinges have been replaced, but all the other hinges appear to be original. The wooden feet are also original.

Historically, Captain Peter Puget was Commissioner of the British Navy in India stationed in Madras and developed the new Naval Base in Trincomalee(Ceylon) from 1810-1817.

If this chest did belong to Captain/Admiral Puget it would be perhaps the only artifact that remains from his life as a Naval Officer and particularly from his service as Naval Commissioner in India.

I am still in conversation with her regarding the family's plans  for this chest. Finding and identifying this rare chest is certainly an exciting new entry into Puget's life.

The photos are not the best quality.

Lid

Side handle

Commissioner Puget Lid Plaque

front view

Washington State Department of Natural Resources Board Meets in Olympia

December 1, 2015
Vancouver Notch

I first submitted the proposal to the Wa State Geographic Naming Commission in April, 2015 for the first consideration in May 2015. Read other posting in this blog.
In October 2015, it was approved for final consideration by the Commission.
 On Dec 1, 2015 Caleb Maki, as part of their Naming Commission, presented to the Board,  Vancouver Notch for final approval. The Board unanimously approved the name, Vancouver Notch as part of the Washington State Geographic Names. This enables the name to be used by cartographers in all future Wa State Maps.

Todd Matthews, Editor of the Tacoma Daily Index has written numerous articles as the Proposal has moved through the various stages. He arranged for us to view the privately maintained property owned by the Hancock Forest Management. see his latest article:

To read his most recent article update see link

http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/blog/vancouver-notch-dnr-approves-proposal-to-name-mount-rainier-foothills-feature/2429999/

Vancouver Notch Naming Approved

Todd Matthews, an enthusiastic Editor of the Tacoma Daily Index and Barbara Reid have been busy lately pulling together the final pieces to present to the The Washington State Committee on Geographic Names that met in Olympia on October 23, 2015. The Committee approved the Proposal to Officially name Vancouver Notch.

Read the recent articles that he wrote on our on site adventure into the Notch with Hancock Forest Manager, Heather Watson on October 21,2015.

To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of the proposed Vancouver Notch, click on the following links:

§  Vancouver Notch: In Mount Rainier’s foothills, Barbara Reid completes one famous explorer’s journey(Tacoma Daily Index, October 21, 2015)

§  Vancouver Notch: Committee to consider proposal to name Mount Rainier foothills feature (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 19, 2015)

§  Tacoma Daily Index Top Stories — August 2015 (Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 1, 2015)

§  Vancouver Notch: Mount Rainier foothills could soon honor the late explorer (Tacoma Daily Index, July 31, 2015)

Todd Mathews -- Vancouver Notch: Committee approves proposal to name Mount Rainier foothills feature (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 26, 2015)

http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/blog/vancouver-notch-committee-approves-proposal-to-name-mount-rainier-foothills-feature/2429702/

Craig Hill of the Tacoma News Tribune presented his articles online but also in the Sunday Section Sound Life.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/outdoors/article39241458.html

Steilacoom and Saltars Point Park

The Town of Steilacoom and their Parks Department is finalizing the rebuilding of the Saltars Point Park which has been a lengthy project. There is a new Train Trestle over the BNSF Railroad tracks, which will give access to the lower section of the park, an upper level parking lot, lighting, and an upper park with a bench for viewing Ketron, Anderson, Eagle and McNeil Islands. They are creating space for the Lt. Peter Puget Memorial Reader Board which will discuss the exploration routes of Lt Peter Puget and Captain George Vancouver who surveyed these waters in May, 1792 as part of the 4 year Voyage of Discovery.

Our design team had just finished another meeting, so we were excited to see their progress and test drive our template with the newly installed platform. The Eagle Boy Scouts had planted new plants, people were enjoying the view and walking their dogs. Hira Barbara Reid, Director of the Puget Memorial Project was very happy to see all this progress.

We ventured over the new trestle just in time for an Amtrak train to wiz past us, and then down to the beach and pavilion. We enjoyed a nice bite to eat. What a wonderful day.