Friday, February 10. Impressive display of water power.
Lots of people watching the river overflow its banks.
High Water at Tumwater Falls
Category Archives: Tumwater Falls Park
A Few Photos From a Chilly Day in Tumwater Falls park
Veterans Day flag has amazing history
Army veteran Frank Jones was honored on November 11, 2016 with a pretty special gift. He was presented with a flag that was flown over the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, the US Capitol in Washington DC and the Washington State Capitol in Olympia. Thanks to everyone that participated in this ceremony.
Olympia Tumwater Foundation trustee Dan O’Neill assists Tumwater Boy Scouts during the November 11, 2016 Veterans Day ceremony at Tumwater Falls Park.
State Senator Karen Fraser presents the flag to Frank Jones, a veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
LA Times visits Tumwater Falls Park
Brian Clark, Moira Davin and John Freedman at the middle falls in Tumwater Falls Park.
Los Angeles Times¹ travel writer Brian Clark recently visited Tumwater Falls Park while researching an article on weekend getaways in South Puget Sound. Moira Davin from Visit Olympia (formerly OLT Visitor & Convention Bureau) arranged Brian’s media tour and selected the Park as a “must see.” A former resident of Olympia, Brian has fond memories of the area and gets back whenever he can.
¹The Los Angeles Times has an audience of 19 million.
Television show “The Voice” films in Tumwater Falls Park
Earlier this summer, a production crew from NBC filmed local musician Ethan Tucker in Tumwater Falls Park for the television show “The Voice”
Ethan Tucker may only be in his early 20s but the self-starting Olympia native has already made a name for himself, impressing some of the more respected veteran artists in today’s music world. Performing and recording since the age of 16, Tucker has honed his unique blend of acoustic-roots, soul, blues, and reggae, slowly building a dedicated and ever-growing audience, and making friends with some significant musicians in the process.
Ethan chose country music artist Blake Shelton as his coach after his succesful audition on the September 20, 2016 “The Voice” broadcast.
This week’s (September 20) “Blind Auditions” episodes of “The Voice” were prerecorded in Los Angeles, as was the coming “Battles” episode that will feature Tucker in October. If he makes it far enough, he will sing live on national television during the final “Live Shows” competition, which will include voting by the TV audience.
Good luck Ethan!
Click here to watch Ethan’s audition: The Voice
Fall Chinook salmon putting on a show in Tumwater Falls Park
Now is the time to visit Tumwater Falls Park where Chinook salmon are showing up in impressive numbers in their annual migration upstream. Each fall, the Park welcomes thousands of visitors and schoolchildren to see salmon in their natural habitat, slowly making their way to the Tumwater Falls Hatchery. Come be enthralled by the cascading waterfalls, learn the life cycle of the majestic salmon, or just spend an afternoon relaxing on the grass.
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Tumwater Falls Park is funded by the non profit Olympia Tumwater Foundation and contributions from people like you. Click here for more information.
Guided Tumwater History Walking Tours at Tumwater Falls Park: The new season has begun
Are you ready for a historic adventure? The Olympia Tumwater Foundation’s “Heritage Builders” program invites you to a free guided walk through history with local historian and Public History Manager, Don Trosper. The 2016 weekly tours are offered every Thursday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 now through September 15.
You’ll begin at the Falls Park main office by the history panels overlooking the river’s upper falls and the salmon ladders. You’ll learn about the rich and significant history of the first permanent American community north of the Columbia. Don will talk about the founders, the early businesses using the water power of the Deschutes River, how the town grew through the decades since 1845, and the history of the Schmidt family and the Olympia Brewing Company; all centered upon this historic and beautiful river location.
The tours last about an hour and cover roughly a half mile of trail and are limited to 30 people. The park is at 110 Deschutes Way, located off I-5, Exit 103, Deschutes Way and “C” Street. Reservations are not required, but for further information or to arrange a special group tour call 360-786-8117 or email history@olytumfoundation.org. You can also check out our website and the blog to see our three minute Tumwater history videos called “Talking Over Old Times” (www.olytumfoundation.org). Our thanks to the City of Tumwater for their assistance for these special programs.
Entertaining Videos on Tumwater History
In a cooperative effort with the City of Tumwater, the Olympia Tumwater Foundation’s local history program partnered with Thurston Community Television (TCTV) to produce twenty, three minute videos focusing on Tumwater’s rich history.
Local historian and author, Don Trosper, hosts these short videos featuring music, historic photos, and compelling details about names you may hear and see around Tumwater today, like George Bush, Michael T. Simmons, the Crosby family, and more. Don says, “There is more than enough material to produce many more of these utilizing the rich resources of the foundation archives at the Schmidt House and the City of Tumwater files from Henderson House. It is great fun and will hopefully be helpful to students in history classes, local area residents and visitors from outside our local area.”
Click on the underlined links below to enjoy Don’s folksy interpretation of Tumwater’s past:
The History of the West Begins in the East
The Founders of Tumwater and their trip over the Oregon Trail. Why make such a trip?
Olympian article on Olympia Tumwater Foundation
After the storm
We had a beautiful day at Tumwater Falls Park after the nasty storm this morning.
Lots of people checking out the swollen river, which peaked at three feet above flood stage around 3:00p.m.
Olympia Tumwater Foundation Blog 