Yelm Splash Park Cultural Report - section 106Cultural Resources Inventory Report for the
Proposed Splash Park,
Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
Prepared for
City of Yelm
105 Yelm Ave. W
Yelm, WA 98597
Prepared by
9755 SW Barnes Rd, Ste 300, Portland, OR 97225
Enhancing Communities through Creative, Exceptional Service
NMSDC Certified MBE/CPUC Certified MBE
February 14, 2018
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park,
Thurston County, Washington
Prepared for
Maryanne Zukowski, P.E.
Public Works Manager
City of Yelm
105 Yelm Ave. W
Yelm, WA 98597
Prepared by
Karry L. Blake and Adrienne Donovan-Boyd
WHPacific, Inc.
9755 SW Barnes Rd, Ste 300
Portland, OR 97225
503.372.3649
www.whpacific.com
February 14, 2018
Findings: Negative
Counties: Thurston County, WA
Legal Location: SW 1/4 of Section 35, Township
17 North, Range 2 East
USGS Quads: McKenna, WA (1990)
Project Type: Pedestrian survey, subsurface
sampling, above ground survey
Project Acres: 0.04
Acres Surveyed: 0.04
WHPacific Project No.: P0019027W
Field Notes Location: WHPacific Office, Portland, OR
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Table of Contents
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. ii
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Project Description........................................................................................................................................ 1
Regulatory Setting ......................................................................................................................................... 1
Environment ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Cultural Context ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Historic Context ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Literature Review and Archival Research Results ......................................................................................... 7
Expected Resource Types ............................................................................................................................. 8
Field Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Archaeological Survey Methods ............................................................................................................... 9
Above Ground Survey Methods .............................................................................................................. 12
Results ......................................................................................................................................................... 12
Archaeological Survey ............................................................................................................................. 13
Above Ground Survey ............................................................................................................................. 13
Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 25
Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 27
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Table of Figures
Figure 1: City of Yelm Splash Park project location. ...................................................................................................... 2
Figure 2: Overview of the APE, view to the northeast. ................................................................................................. 3
Figure 3: 1927 Sanborn map of park area. .................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 4: Overview map of the results of the archaeological survey. ......................................................................... 11
Figure 5: Overview of Shovel Probe 2 after excavation. .............................................................................................. 12
Figure 6 Map of identified properties for the Historic Resources Inventory for Cultural Resources Survey for City of
Yelm Splash Park. ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Figure 7: Overview images of the primary façade of 202 1st Street SE, Looking east and south. .............................. 15
Figure 8: Looking southwest at the primary façade of 109 Washington Avenue SE. .................................................. 16
Figure 9: Looking southwest at the primary façade of 111 Washington Avenue SE. .................................................. 17
Figure 10: Looking southeast at the Yelm Water Tower. ............................................................................................ 17
Figure 11: Looking southeast at 206 McKenzie Avenue. ............................................................................................. 18
Figure 12: Looking south at 203 McKenzie Avenue. .................................................................................................... 18
Figure 13: Looking south at 115 Mosman Avenue SE. ................................................................................................. 19
Figure 14: Looking south at 201 Mosman Avenue SE. ................................................................................................. 19
Figure 15: Looking southwest at 117 Mosman Avenue SE. ......................................................................................... 20
Figure 16: Looking southwest at 113 Mosman Avenue SE. ......................................................................................... 20
Figure 17: Looking southwest at 113 Mosman Avenue SE. ......................................................................................... 21
Figure 18: Overview images of Frontier Village, looking south and southwest. ......................................................... 21
Figure 19: Overview images of Frontier Village, looking south and southwest. ......................................................... 22
Figure 20: 207 1st Street, Looking north. .................................................................................................................... 22
Figure 21: Looking northeast at northern picnic shelter. ............................................................................................ 23
Figure 22: Looking southeast at the stage. .................................................................................................................. 23
Figure 23: Looking south at central picnic shelter. ...................................................................................................... 24
Figure 24: Looking south at central picnic shelter. ...................................................................................................... 24
Figure 25: Looking southeast at concrete picnic structure. ........................................................................................ 24
Figure 26: Pioneer memorial, designed and sculpted by Daniel Murphy in the late 1980s. ....................................... 25
List of Tables
Table 1: Previous Cultural Resource Investigations within 1 mile of the APE .............................................................. 7
Table 2 Properties in proximity to the APE. ................................................................................................................... 8
Table 3 Table of identified properties within the above ground APE for the Cultural Resources Survey for City of
Yelm Splash Park. ................................................................................................................................................ 15
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Introduction
The City of Yelm contracted WHPacific, Inc. to conduct a pedestrian survey, subsurface sampling,
and historic architecture survey prior to the construction of a splash park at the Yelm City Park. The
project’s Area of Potential Effect (APE) is located in the City of Yelm in Thurston County,
Washington east of the intersection of 1st Street and Mossman Ave in the Southwest Quarter of
Section 19, Township 17 North, Range 2 East (see Figure 1).
Project Description
City of Yelm applied for and won a Community Development Block Grant through the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered by Thurston County Public Health and
Social Services. WHPacific, Inc. (WHP) was contracted to perform the environmental compliance
work required as part of this publicly funded grant. This report concerns compliance with Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act.
The project area is located in a publically accessible city park in central Yelm. The park is bounded
by 1st Street, 2nd Street, and Mossman Avenue with private property located along the northeastern
margin. The park is located in a mix of commercial and residential use areas, with commercial
properties and residential housing adjacent to the APE.
WHP staff conducted the archaeological and architectural surv eys for this project on July 18, 2017.
Secretary of the Interior-qualified archaeologist, Karry L. Blake, conducted all archaeological survey.
Ms. Blake has spent the last eighteen years working throughout the western United States as an
archaeologist. This experience includes the identification, recordation, and evaluation of a wide array
of prehistoric and historic cultural resources. Adrienne Donovan-Boyd is a Secretary of the Interior-
qualified Architectural Historian working with WHP to conduct this reconnaissance level survey. She
is qualified to make determinations of eligibility for landmark/her itage/historic preservation
designation and to complete various forms needed for compliance with the Washington Department
of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), including Washington Historic Property
Inventory (HPI), SEPA, and Section 106.
Regulatory Setting
Proposed project activities is funded through a HUD grant program which constitutes a federal nexus
requiring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (P.L. 59-209). The
effort to identify cultural resources within the APE was completed to comply with Section 106 and
other applicable federal regulations including but not limited to the Archaeological Resources
Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 (P.L. 95-96); the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA)
of 1978 (P.L. 95-341); and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 1: City of Yelm Splash Park project location.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Environment
At 354 feet (ft, 108 meters [m]) in elevation, the project is located at the northern end of the Yelm
Prairie. It is located within the Puget Trough, a physiographic region extending through Washington
from the Canadian to Oregon borders. It is within the northern sub-region known as the Puget Sound
basin, a formerly glaciated depression that is now partially submerged. Glacial deposits of porous
gravels and sands are present within the project vicinity (Franklin and Dryness 1988:16-17).
Soils within the project area are mapped as Spanaway gravelly sandy loam which developed atop
glacial outwash. The upper soil is typically a deep, dark brown to black, gravelly, sandy loam. This
overlays glacial outwash of large, poorly sorted cobbles and gravels (NRCS 2017). Spanaway loams
typically support grassy and herbaceous surfaces. Vegetation typical to the Yelm Prairie indigenous
grasses with areas of firs and oaks on the margins (Ness 1958:53-54). Natural meadows have been
significantly reduced by agriculture and modern development.
Soils within the project area were consistent with those reported in the area. Much of the Spanaway
gravelly sandy loam has been removed by modern landscape modification but the underlying glacial
outwash was encountered during subsurface sampling. The ground surface in the project area was
covered with dried grasses typical of modern public parks with a few fir trees and willows (see Figure
2).
Figure 2: Overview of the APE, view to the northeast.
Cultural Context
The city of Yelm is located within the aboriginal territory of the Nisqually and Mashel peoples who
were part of the Southern Lushootseed association of the Southern Coast Salish. The unique location
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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of these groups along the Nisqually River resulted in a regionally specific subsistence adaptation
utilizing both aquatic and terrestrial game resources (Suttles and Lane 1990: 485-502). While salmon
was the primary food resource, similar to much of the coastal Pacific Northwest groups, these groups
supplemented with land game, roots, berries, and shellfish. Cedar plank longhouses were the
preferred dwellings housing multiple families living in partitioned sections within the structure. These
lodges were occupied through the majority of the year with the exception of summer when people
dispersed to collect seasonal resources such as plants and salmon (Suttles and Lane 1990). Yelm
Creek, located to the northeast of the project area, hosted a permanent Nisqually village as well as
seasonal fish camps to take advantage of the chum, coho, pink, and chinook salmon runs.
Historic Context
Early pioneers, in the 1850s, to the Nisqually Valley settled on the south bank of the Nisqually River.
This period of settlement, led by the Hudson Bay Company’s Puget Sound Agriculture Company,
began with a few shepherd stations for sheep grazing in the prairie. Several Hudson Bay sheep
herders lived in the area, but James Longmire has long been considered Yelm’s first citizen. He
crossed the Naches Pass in the Cascades in October of 1853. Longmire described the river valley as
the “most beautiful” land and settled near the Nisqually River (Prescott 1979: 6). The ownership of
the land was a pressing question and the territorial government wished to secure the rights to the area
and negotiated the Medicine Creek Treaty, which created a small reservation west of the mouth of the
Nisqually River. Because of the insufficient nature of the reservation a two-year armed conflict
ensued and the Nisqually tribe was eventually awarded 3000 acres of land at the confluence of the
Nisqually River and Muck Creek.1 This left the Yelm Prairie open for settlement (Nisqually Indian
Planning Department 1992: 3).
The Yelm post office was established on November 18, 1857 (initially as Fort Stevens, but then
renamed Yelm in 1858). Lewis D. Barnard was the first Post Master. Abijah O’Neal was postmaster
from June 11, 1859-July 23, 1862. He held the post office from his home in section 19, near the site
of the Yelm City Park. The post office moved to William Wagner’s home, from July of 1863, until
August of 1865, at which point Charles O’Neal became Postmaster and in 1868, Abijah O’Neal once
again took up the post. The Yelm post office resided at the O’Neal home from 1859-1862 and 1865-
1868 (Ramsey 1988: 36-37).
Abijah O’Neal purchased 162 acres of land from the U.S. government on December 9, 1864. The
Yelm City Park is located on this track of land. Abijah O’Neal was born February 22, 1823, in
Illinois, and died August 31, 1886 in Washington. He was married to Minerva Jane Underwood. In
1860, an Act was passed by the Washington Territory to locate a road from Steilacoom, in Pierce
County to Yelm Prairie. The commissioners met at Abijah O’Neal’s house in Yelm Prairie
1 This land was condemned on the Pierce County side in 1917 and given to the Department of War
for the Fort Lewis Army Base.
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(Washington Territory 1860: 465). That same year, the U.S. Federal Census for the production of
agriculture showed Abijah O’Neal owned 160 acres of land with a $1,500 cash value. O’Neal had six
horses, 10 milk cows, 10 other types of cattle, 64 sheep, and 5 pigs. With this farm, he produced 70
bushels of wheat and 120 bushels of oats (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1860). In 1870, the couple had
six children living with them (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1870). Abijah O’Neal was known as an
“most willing and efficient Indian fighter in his day” (An Illustrate History of Klickitat, Yakima, and
Kittitas Counties, 1977, p. 635-36). Minerva O’Neal died on October 1, 1874 and Abijah O’Neal died
on August 31, 1886, they are both buried in the Union Gap Pioneer Cemetery, in Yakima County,
Washington (Find a Grave 2017).
The railway came to Yelm in 1873, which bolstered the city’s agricultural and forestry industries. The
railroad was located just beyond the parks west side and a railroad station was to the north of the
park. The population grew steadily and by 1892, Yelm was a thriving community with a solid dairy
industry. Life in Yelm continued to improve when an irrigation ditch was constructed in the valley
and the community was incorporated with a population of approximately 300 people on December 8,
1924 (City of Yelm nd: 4).
The 1927, Sanborn map shows the park block was platted as residential lots (Sanborn Map Company
1927: 4) (Figure 3). There was a ten-foot alley on the north side of the park, with seven platted lots
abutting the alley. McKenzie Street, which was not defined, was approximately 60 feet wide and it
cut through the present-day park. South of McKenzie Street was a full block of platted lots. At the
time the street to the south of these lots was Murphy Street (now Mosman Ave SE).
Three houses are shown on the 1927 map to the northeast of the present-day park. All three of the
structures share a block with the park and still stand today. Sanborn maps did not cover the area
southwest of the park in either 1927 or 1930. No houses are located on the 1927 Sanborn Map to the
present-day park’s southeast. Only one building is to the northwest and it does not remain today.
In 1949, the community of Yelm had grown to a population of 489 persons, but thousands more lived
in the vicinity, outside the city limits. Mayor Nathan Henderson’s favorite project was the
establishment of a park. The tentative plans were for a large playground and shade area to be
constructed on eight city lots. It was thought the project would cost eight thousand dollars and would
include “tennis courts, swings, slides, ball field and all the other familiar playground equipment, in
addition to shade trees and places where Yelm residents could relax and talk of their favorite topic,
dairy farming” (Fox 1949: np). The Yelm City Park blocks was donated to the City by Chuck and
Wilma Demich in 1950 (Aria Jackson Ellison Murakami LLP 2013: 2). It is possible these lots were
combined with lots owned by the city to create the Yelm City Park, as the park currently
encompasses one and a half city blocks.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 3: 1927 Sanborn map of park area.
The town grew steadily over the next 40 years and the population was estimated to be 699 in 1974.
The population nearly doubled by 1983 due to annexations and more people living in rural
communities and working in larger cities. In 1984, a city planning report noted that the city operated
one public park (City of Yelm, nd, p.4). In 1998, The Olympian reported that “Yelm [was] working to
head off park damage” (“Yelm Working” 1998 C3). Currently the park hosts a variety of community
events including the Car Show, Christmas in the Park, Circus, Patriot Day, Prairie Days, Prairie Street
Rod Association Car Show, and the Yelm Lion’s Club Easter Egg Hunt.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Literature Review and Archival Research Results
Prior to fieldwork WHPacific archaeologist, Karry Blake, searched online databases, archives, and
reviewed historical maps, aerial imagery, and other references available on the Washington
Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD) provided
through the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation on July 11, 2017. The
search included the area within 1-mile of the APE. This kind of search allows for predictions to be
made regarding the occurrence and frequency of archaeological sites in areas that have not been
previously identified.
A search of the WISAARD geographic information system (GIS) database indicated that eight
cultural resource projects have been conduction with a 1-mile radius of the Yelm City Park (Table 1).
Projects conducted within 1 mile of the project APE are associated with transportation projects
(Dugas et al. 1999; Becker et al. 2008), city street upgrades (Luttrell 2006; Sharley 2008), and
community improvements (Emerson 2014). Three previously recorded cultural resources have been
identified within 1 mile of the project area. These include a potentially eligible historic farmstead,
45TN331, located 1.14 miles northeast of the Yelm City Park. George Edwards Homestead,
45TN260, is located 0.41 miles northwest of the project area and is recorded as potentially eligible.
The final resource is the Yelm Creek Historic Site located 1.2 miles southeast of the project area and
is also recorded as potentially eligible. No prehistoric resources have been previously identified near
the project area but it is still considered to be high probability for prehistoric materials.
Table 1: Previous Cultural Resource Investigations within 1 mile of the APE
NADB
No. Report Title and Reference Results
Distance
from APE
(miles)
1345644 Yelm Y2/Y3 Corridor Analysis, Pierce County Archaeological Assessment
Dugas et al. 1999
1 site 0.7
1348818 Cultural Resources Investigations for the City of Yelm Stevens Street Improvement
Project
Luttrell 2006
1 resource 0.33
1351371 Cultural Resources Survey for the City of Yelm Coates Road SE Improvement
Project
Sharley 2008
5 AG*
resources
0. 5
1351466 Results of a Cultural Resource Survey of the Proposed SR510 Yelm Loop Y3
Project
Becker et al. 2008
1 site 0.5
1684862 Cultural Resources Survey for the City of Yelm Community Center Project
Emerson 2014
Negative 0.01
*AG = Above Ground
Prior to field work the APE was searched in Washington’s Information System for Architectural and
Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD). Several properties along Wildwood Place within the
APE had been previously surveyed. These surveys were scanned into th e database system, since they
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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were conducted prior to the use of the digital system. They were then printed and used as references
in the field.
A number of previous above ground studies have encompassed the APE. Most were reconnaissance
level surveys. Some of these surveys were completed between 1988 and 1991 as part of a historic
building inventory of Yelm and a few were surveyed more recently. One property, the Yelm Water
Tower, is listed on the Washington Historic Register. Three properties on the list have either been
demolished or are mapped incorrectly. Two other properties were demolished as part of the Yelm
Park Community Center project. Of the ten remaining surveys, three were points in the park, all with
a date of 1950. It is possible that these are the three picnic structures, but they do not appear to be
1950 construction.
Table 2 Properties in proximity to the APE.
Property ID. Address and Survey Survey Project Determination
19090 204 2nd St SE/Yelm Water Tower/1946 Survey Project/1991 Washington Register
489936 201 Mosman Avenue Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
489782 117 SE Mosman Avenue Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
489772 113 Mosman Street Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
484674
109 (form says 209, but is mapped as 109,
house says 109) Mosman Ave Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
489751/19082 111 Washington Ave SE/ C. Fox House/1924 Survey Project/1991 Undetermined
489743/19081 109 Washington Ave SE/ Fox House/1924 Survey Project/1991 Undetermined
19180
101 Washington Ave SE (house says 202 First
Street)/1920 Survey project/1991 Undetermined
488581 203 1st Street SE/1952 Survey project/1991
Possibly Demolished/or
mapped
incorrectly/Undetermined
489178 115 Mosman Ave SE/Yelm Park/1950 Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
489451 115 Mosman Ave SE/Yelm Park/1950 Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
488428 115 Mosman Ave SE/Yelm Park/1950 Assessor Data Project/2011 Undetermined
674183/
19079/489973 205 2nd St SE Assessor Data Project/2011
Possibly Demolished/or
mapped
incorrectly/Undetermined
674210 207 2nd St SE/Pullman House/1901 Assessor Data Project/2011
Non-
Contributing/Demolished
19077 107 Washington Ave SE Survey Project/1991
Non-
Contributing/Demolished
19034
101-103 1st Street/Yelm Meat Market/Brown
Brothers Garage
Survey Project/
1989
Possibly Demolished/or
mapped
incorrectly/Undetermined
Expected Resource Types
Cultural resources surveys have not been conducted within the footprint of this project. The results of
surveys in the vicinity of the project area as well as the historic documentation suggests that there is a
high probability of encountering a pre-contact and historic period resources within the project area.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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The development around the park and of the park itself suggest that aboriginal surface materials have
been removed reducing the likelihood of finding intact cultural resources.
Fifteen buildings appeared on a satellite view of the area. Prior to field work approximate
construction years were mapped. Older buildings were found to the southwest and north east of the
park, while newer developments and retail buildings were located on 1st Street SE/SR 507 and on
Second Avenue SE. The Yelm Water Tower, was also located, as it is listed in the Washington
Heritage Register. Seven residential properties, the Yelm Water Tower, and the Yelm City Park were
identified prior to field work.
Field Methods
Archaeological Survey Methods
All fieldwork was performed by WHP senior archaeological, Karry L. Blake, who meets the
professional qualifications and standards of the Secretary of the Interior’s guidelines for archaeology.
All field notes and photographs are on file at the WHP Salem, Oregon office.
The field archaeologist was provided with a USGS topographic quadrangle map and high-resolution
aerial photographs depicted the APE. In addition, GIS shapefiles depicting the APE were uploaded as
background files to a handheld global positioning system (GPS) device used to record the locations of
the identified shovel probes and any cultural resources encountered during the course of field
investigations. The APE was surveyed by walking parallel transects spaced at 5 meter intervals.
Every effort was made to examine as much ground as possible; surface visibility was good though
grass was present throughout (see Figure 4). All areas of accessible exposed soils in accessible were
examined.
The WHP archaeologist excavated two shovel probes (SP1 and SP2) within the project area to
characterize the mineral soil profile and to determine if subsurface cultural materials are present.
Extremely dense cobble deposits and numerous buried utilities, marked prior to fieldwork, limited the
space available for probing. Shovel probe excavation and recordation followed standard methods.
Probes were circular and measured approximately 30 centimeters (cm) in diameter and were
excavated to a maximum depth of 50 cm below the ground surface and two sterile 10 cm levels.
Excavated soils were screened through ¼-inch hardware mesh; sediments, depositional structure, and
presence of cultural materials were recorded on standardized field forms; and shovel probe was
backfilled.
Sediment encountered during excavation was consistent with the Spanaway gravelly sandy loam and
the glacial outwash parent material described in this region. Stratigraphy within SP1 is described as
32 cm of gravelly sandy loam atop 18 cm of loose brown sandy loam mixed with large poorly sorted
cobbles. Shovel probe 2 had a similar soil profile with 26 cm of upper Spanaway layer followed by
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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20 cm of glacial outwash sediments terminating at a cobble impasse. The cobbles were waterworn
and poorly sorted (see Figure 5).
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 4: Overview map of the results of the archaeological survey.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 5: Overview of Shovel Probe 2 after excavation.
Above Ground Survey Methods
The APE for the Yelm Splash Park included the Yelm City Park and one-tax lot surrounding, as this
would encompass any visual effect from the proposed undertaking and follows the guidelines
outlined by DAHP for conducting a SEPA environmental review. Methods used to identify historic
resources within the APE included the reconnaissance survey, assessor data, historic photographs,
historic maps, and a review of information from Washington State’s WISAARD database. Sanborn
Fire Insurance Maps were available from 1927, and showed footprints of several of the houses.
Each property that met the 45-year threshold within the APE was surveyed and evaluated for their
eligibility at the local, state and/or national register level. According to DAHP reconnaissance
surveys result in the recordation of only “observable information, they may not provide sufficient
information with which to make determinations of eligibility beyond architectural significance”
(DAHP 2015). Adrienne Donovan-Boyd surveyed each of the tax lots adjacent to the park and the
Yelm City Park. For each structure that was constructed prior to 1972 the current use was noted and
notes were taken to help describe the resources physical appearance and alterations.
Results
On July 18, 2017 WHP staff conducted the pedestrian survey, subsurface sampling, and a
reconnaissance-level above ground field survey. The archaeological survey purpose is to identify
cultural resources present within the project APE as well as assess the subsurface for potential to
contain buried cultural material. The goal of the above ground field survey was to verify the presence,
within the APE, of cultural, architectural, and engineering resources that are 45 years of age or older.
All potentially historic resources were photographed, and a cursory level of information was
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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compiled for each resource, included resource name and/or address, location, approximate
construction date, style, and resource type.
Archaeological Survey
The project area is a public park with a surface covered in grasses. Numerous buried utilities have
been identified and spray painted by a locating service. A few large fir trees and a willow are present
within the park (Figure 2). Surface visibility was moderate ranging from 20 to 75 percent. Two
probes were placed centrally within the project area to avoid buried utilities and to test the most
probable location for ground disturbance (Figure 4). No cultural materials were encountered during
shovel probing activities.
Above Ground Survey
Fourteen structures and the Yelm City Park fell within the APE (see Table 3 and Figure 6). The Yelm
Water Tower, which is already on the Washington Historic Register, is considered eligible at the local
level. A single building, 113 Mosman Ave SE, was also evaluated as being eligible at the local level,
as it has been changed very little since its construction (Field #111). The three retail buildings that
face First Street SE/SR507, were determined to be out of period. It is believed they were constructed
during the 1980s. One residence was hidden from view by fences and foliage and remains
unevaluated. Three other building to the southeast of the park were found to have been constructed
within the last 40 years, likely during Yelm’s building boom of the 1980s, and were evaluated as out
of period. The remaining houses were determined not eligible because of the replacement of
windows, siding, and other character defining features, such as front doors, brackets, and decorative
elements.
Field Number 102—202 1st Street:
This shingled cottage bungalow in Yelm was constructed in c. 1920, a period of substantial growth in
Yelm (Figure 7). The bungalow style residence is in good condition and is a good example of its type,
and at a time was considered the best example of the shingled bungalow in the city. The bungalow
has retained its location, design, and setting, and some of its evident workmanship. Many of the
original materials have been lost with the replacement of the homes historic windows and the
replacement of the house’s front door. These changes have diminished the house's feeling, and
association and its ability to convey its historic period. The replacement of the windows with three-
over-one vinyl and the new front door with an oval gold inlay, preclude it from being eligible for the
national register or as a contributing resource in a district.
The shingled Cottage/Bungalow has a steeply pitched gable roof over the first-floor porch. A shed
dormer is on the west facade with a bank of three windows. The second story is clad in shingle and
the first in horizontal board. The front door is centered on the facade and flanked by two large picture
windows. The house sits on a concrete foundation. A garage is located to the house's northeast.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 6 Map of identified properties for the Historic Resources Inventory for Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Table 3 Table of identified properties within the above ground APE for the Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park.
Field # Site address Previous DAHP
Survey Number(s)
Year
built
Contributing/not
Contributing/out of
period/Undetermined
102 202 1st Street SE (previously surveyed
as 101 Washington Ave SE)
19180 c. 1920 Non-Contributing
103 109 Washington Ave SE 489743/19081 c. 1924 Non-Contributing
104 111 Washington Ave SE 489751/19082 c. 1924 Non-Contributing
105 204 2nd St SE 19090 c. 1946 Washington Register/ Contributing
106 206 McKenzie Ave SE c. 2008 Out of Period
107 No visible address. Approximately 203
McKenzie Ave, south of the McKenzie
and 2nd Street SE intersection
c. 1990 Out of Period
108 115 Mosman Ave SE c. 1970 Non-Contributing
109 201 Mosman Ave SE 489936 c. 1925 Undetermined/Not visible from the
ROW
110 117 Mosman Ave SE 489782 c. 1920 Non-Contributing
111 113 Mosman Ave SE 489772 c. 1925 Contributing
112 109 Mosman Ave SE (Database
address says 209 Mosman Street NE)
c.1968 Non-Contributing
113 Frontier Village c. 1980 Out of Period
114 303 1st Street SE, Shops c. 1980 Out of Period
115 207 1st Street SE, Shops c. 1980 Out of Period
116 Yelm City Park 1950 Non-Contributing
Figure 7: Overview images of the primary façade of 202 1st Street SE, Looking east and south.
Field Number 103—109 Washington Avenue SE:
The Fox House was constructed in c. 1924, a period of substantial growth in Yelm (Figure 8). The bungalow
style residence is in good condition, but changes have diminished the house’s integrity. The house has retained
its location and setting, and some of its evident workmanship, but many of the original materials have been lost
with the replacement of the homes windows and historic front door. These changes have diminished the
feeling, design, materials, and association of the property to convey its historic period. The replacement of the
windows with six-over-six vinyl, the new front door, and the new railing on the full-width front porch,
preclude the home from being eligible for the national register or as a contributing resource in a district.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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The small, rectangular residence, located at 109 Washington Avenue SE, appears to have a concrete
foundation (Figure 8). The residence is clad in prefabricated siding with false wood grain. The gable roof is
covered with asphalt-composition shingles. The front entrance is in the north gable end and is slightly offset
under a gable porch, which is also slightly offset, both to the east. Square wood posts support the porch roof.
The windows are vinyl with a six-over-six orientation, with false muntins. The rafter ends are exposed. The
house sits on a concrete foundation.
Figure 8: Looking southwest at the primary façade of 109 Washington Avenue SE.
Field Number 104—111 Washington Avenue SE
This minimalist bungalow in Yelm was constructed in c. 1924, a period of substantial growth in Yelm
(Figure 9). The bungalow style residence is in good condition, but lacks details that would make it a
good example of the type. The bungalow has retained its location and setting, and some of its evident
workmanship. Many of the original materials have been lost with the replacement of the home’s
windows and doors, and the addition of the pebbled stucco exterior, which is likely not original.
These changes have diminished the design, feeling, and association. The replacement of the windows,
front door, and the change in siding, preclude it from being eligible for the national register or as a
contributing resource in a district.
This one-story bungalow has a rectangular plan and front gable roof, with a front-gable porch
projection from the north facade and another porch on the southeast facade. The house sits on a
concrete block foundation. In 1991, the survey team reported the exterior had "recently been covered
with "marblecrete" a stucco like material with small crushed stones embedded in it." The roof is clad
in asphalt shingles. The gable roof is covered with composition shingles. A picture window is located
to the east of the front door on the primary facade and a one-over-one window on the west. The
windows all appear to be vinyl. Also on the property is a gable roofed garage, located to the house's
south.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 9: Looking southwest at the primary façade of 111 Washington Avenue SE.
Field Number 105—204 2nd Street SE
The 50,000 gallon Yelm Water Tower is already on the Washington Heritage Register (Figure 10). It
meets the criteria for listing because of the water towers direct connection to the growth and
development of the community of Yelm. It is a traditional style water tower and is locally sometimes
referred to as the "Tin Man." The tower was constructed in 1946 and the word YELM is painted
across the northeast side of the storage tank. The Yelm Water Tower retains six of the seven aspects
of integrity. It remains in the same location, it has retained its design, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association. The setting has changed somewhat, at the base a chain link fence was added,
and many of the oldest structures on 2nd Street SE and Washington Avenue SE have been
demolished, but these changes do not significantly detract from the structures ability to convey its
historic period.
The Yelm Water Tower was constructed in 1946 by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Works Company. The
all steel water tower has four steel legs held together by rivets and x-bracing. the tower has a conical
roof, straight sides, and a round bottom. A pipe comes from the center of the bottom and runs to the
ground. The conical roof overhangs just slightly and covers the walkway around storage tank.
Figure 10: Looking southeast at the Yelm Water Tower.
Field Number 106—206 McKenzie Avenue
The building at 206 McKenzie Avenue was determined to be out of period (Figure 11).
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 11: Looking southeast at 206 McKenzie Avenue.
Field Number 107—203 McKenzie Avenue
The building at 203 McKenzie Avenue was determined to be out of period (Figure 12).
Figure 12: Looking south at 203 McKenzie Avenue.
Field Number 108—115 Mosman Avenue
The structure on the east corner of 2nd Street and Mosman Avenue was constructed in 1970 (Figure
13). It is a storage shed. There is nothing to suggest that the metal clad building is eligible for the
national register or as a contributing element in a district. The building lacks distinction and does not
appear to be the work of a craftsman. It was likely a prefabricated structure erected over a short
period on the site.
The single-story building has a metal clad roof and metal standing seam siding. The building has a
low pitch gable roof and it sits on a concrete foundation. There are concrete stairs leading to a door on
the north facade. A parking lot is located to the buildings east.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 13: Looking south at 115 Mosman Avenue SE.
Field Number 109—201 Mosman Avenue SE
According to county assessor data the house at 201 Mosman Avenue SE, Yelm, was built in 1925 and
is a single-family dwelling (Figure 14). The structure does not appear to be more than 1-story in
height. The house is not visible from the right-of-way and was not able to be evaluated.
Figure 14: Looking south at 201 Mosman Avenue SE.
Field Number 110—117 Mosman Ave SE
The Bill and Fanny Bell House in Yelm was constructed in c. 1920, a period of substantial growth in
Yelm (Figure 15). The residence is in good condition, but lacks distinctive elements to be classified
as any style. Historically it may have had brackets and a lighted wood panel door, but these have been
replaced. The house has retained its location and setting, but many of the original materials have
been lost with the replacement of the homes windows and doors. These changes have diminished the
feeling, workmanship, design, materials, and association of the property to convey its historic period.
The replacement of the windows, the new front door (with a lighted oval with gold inlay) preclude
the home from being eligible for the national register or as a contributing resource in a district.
The small residence has a L-shaped plan and appears to sit on a concrete foundation. The residence is
clad in wood drop siding finished with corner boards. The gable roof is covered with asphalt-
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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composition shingles. The eaves are boxed and there are no brackets and very few decorative
elements. The front entrance is set back under a covered porch, on the east half of the primary facade.
The windows are one-over-one vinyl. A projection is on the east facade and a driveway leads from
2nd Street SE to the attached garage at the back of the house.
Figure 15: Looking southwest at 117 Mosman Avenue SE.
Field Number 111—113 SE Mosman Avenue SE
The Burns House in Yelm was constructed in c. 1925, a period of substantial growth in Yelm (Figure 16). The
bungalow style residence is in good condition, but lacks distinctive elements of the style. The house has
retained its location and setting, and some of its evident workmanship, design, and materials. The home does
not retain enough integrity for individual listing on the national register, but if a historic district existed, this
home is considered eligible for contributing at the local level as an intact example of a common bungalow. It is
probable the porch was enclosed, but this likely happened within its historic period.
The small, rectangular residence appears to have a concrete foundation (Figure 16). The residence is clad in
shingles and drop wood siding finished with corner boards. The front gable roof is clad in metal. The front
entrance is centered on the facade and flanked by two rectangular windows. All the windows on the front
facade are either casement or fixed multi-light windows that may be from the mid-century. The rafter ends are
exposed on the east and west sides of the house and decorative brackets support the roof on the primary facade.
Figure 16: Looking southwest at 113 Mosman Avenue SE.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Field Number 112—109 Mosman Avenue SE
The ranch styled house in Yelm was constructed in 1968 (Figure 17). The residence is in good
condition, but lacks distinctive elements of the style to be considered eligible for the national register
or as a contributing element in a district. The house has retained its location and setting, and some of
its evident workmanship, but many of the original materials have been lost with the replacement of
the homes windows, doors, and porch railing. These changes have diminished the feeling, design,
materials, and association of the property to convey its historic period.
The house at 109 Mosman Street SE (previously recorded as 209 Mosman St SE) was, according to
the county assessor, constructed in 1968 and is a single-family dwelling. The 1-story building has a
gable roof clad in asphalt composition singles. The building is clad in drop siding and has side-
sliding vinyl windows on the primary facade. The door is roughly centered on the facade and housed
under a gable porch cover. The porch supports appear to be new. The ranch style building sits on a
concrete block foundation.
Figure 17: Looking southwest at 113 Mosman Avenue SE.
Field Number 113—404 1st Street
The building at 404 1st Street was determined to be out of period, constructed in 1982 (Figure 18).
Figure 18: Overview images of Frontier Village, looking south and southwest.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Field Number 114—303 1st Street
The building at 303 1st street was determined to be out of period, constructed in 1983 (Figure 19).
Figure 19: Overview images of Frontier Village, looking south and southwest.
Field Number 115—207 1st Street
The building at 207 1st Street was determined to be out of period, constructed in 1990 (Figure 20).
Figure 20: 207 1st Street, Looking north.
Field Number 116—Yelm City Park
The Yelm City Park was established in 1950 by Mayor Nathan Henderson. He is quoted in the
Olympian as saying his favorite project was the establishment of a park. The tentative plans were for
a large playground and shade area to be constructed on eight city lots. It was thought the project
would cost eight thousand dollars and would include “tennis courts, swings, slides, ball field and all
the other familiar playground equipment, in addition to shade trees and places where Yelm residents
could relax and talk of their favorite topic, dairy farming” (Fox, 1949, np). The Yelm City Park
blocks was donated to the City by Chuck and Wilma Demich in 1950 (Aria Jackson Ellison
Murakami LLP, 2013, p. 2). It is possible these lots were combined with lots owned by the city to
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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create the Yelm City Park, as the park currently encompasses one-and-a-half city blocks. These new
additions preclude the park from being listed in the National Register of Historic Places, individually
or as a contributing resource in a district.
The Yelm City Park is located between SR 507/1st Street SE and 2nd Street SE (on the east and west)
and Washington Avenue SE and Mosman Avenue SE (on the north and south). A gravel parking area
and a restroom are located along Mosman Avenue SE. The new community center and new paved
parking area abut 2nd Street SE and the north end of the park is adjacent to a dentist and parking lot
and two residential homes. A playground, picnic area, small stage and three gable roof shelters are in
the central area of the park (Figure 21-26). Trees are planted along 1st Street SE and a new winding
cement sidewalk is located on the west side of the park and follows 1st Street SE from Mosman
Avenue SE.
Most, if not all the structures look to have been constructed or altered after 1972, apart from a
concrete set of picnic benches, which may date to the parks mid-century roots (Figure 25).
Figure 21: Looking northeast at northern picnic shelter.
Figure 22: Looking southeast at the stage.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 23: Looking south at central picnic shelter.
Figure 24: Looking south at central picnic shelter.
Figure 25: Looking southeast at concrete picnic structure.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Figure 26: Pioneer memorial, designed and sculpted by Daniel Murphy in the late 1980s.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The cultural resources survey resulted in the identification of no cultural resources, new or previously
identified. WHPacific recommends that any excavations associated with the City of Yelm Splash
Park will have No Effect upon cultural resources and there will be No Adverse Effect to any
potentially eligible structures with in the APE for future permitting purposes.
The work reported here identified 8 buildings, 1 object (the Yelm Water Tower), and one site (the
Yelm City Park) that exceeded the 45-year age limit for survey. Five buildings within the APE appear
to be constructed after 1971. These resources were evaluated for National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) eligibility. A resource must be a minimum of 45-years of age to be considered for listing.
None of the resources identified during this survey are recommended eligible for individual NRHP
listing. However, the Yelm Water Tower is listed on the Washington Heritage Register. None of the
other buildings or the Yelm City Park are recommended eligible for the Washington Heritage
Register.
Of the identified resources, the residence at 113 Mosman Ave SE has reasonable integrity and would
likely contribute to a local historic district, if one existed, though the other buildings and park would
likely be evaluated as being ineligible for any kind of historic designation. One structure, 206
McKenzie Avenue, was not visible from the street and was not evaluated therefore eligibility
recommendation is undetermined. The Yelm City Park facilities appear to be from the 1980s and
1990s with several buildings built recently, including the new Yelm Community Center and the new
winding sidewalk along the west side of the park. These changes lead to a recommendation of
ineligible for the NRHP.
The survey of the City of Yelm Park Splash Park was completed to identify any cultural or
architectural resources within the proposed APE. The construction of the Yelm City Park Splash Park
will not impact any buried or surficial cultural resources within the project APE. During and after the
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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construction of the Yelm City Park Splash Park direct and indirect impacts would be minimal to
above ground resources identified. The Yelm Park Splash Park will complement existing park
infrastructure.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Works Cited
Aria Jackson Ellison Murakami LLP
2013 Yelm City Park Master Plan. Electronic document,
http://www.ci.yelm.wa.us/city_park_master_plan/, accessed July 2017
Becker, Thomas E., Bill R. Roulette, Aimee A. Finley
2008 Results of a Cultural Resource Survey of the Proposed SR510 Yelm Loop Y3 Project. Prepared
for Paramatrix, Inc., Bellevue, Washington. Applied Archaeological Research, Portland,
Oregon. Applied Archaeological Research, Inc. Report No. 615.
City of Yelm,
N.D. Existing Conditions and Growth Projections, Yelm Planning Department, p. 1. Available at
the Timberland Regional Library. Local History Section. Accessed July 2017.
Dugas, Amy E., Leonard A. Forsman, Lynn L. Larson
1999 Yelm Y2/Y3 Corridor Analysis, Pierce County Archaeological Assessment. Submitted to SCA
Engineering, Lacey Washington. Prepared for City of Yelm, Yelm, Washington. Larson
Anthropological and Archaeological Services, Ltd., Gig Harbor, Washington. LAAS
Technical Report #99-05.
Emerson, Stephen
2014 Cultural Resources Survey for the City of Yelm Community Center Project. Prepared for City
of Yelm, Yelm, Washington. Archaeological and Historical Services, Cheney, Washington.
Short Report 1190.
Find a Grave
2010 Abijah O’Neal, February 22, 1820-August 31, 1886. Find A Grave Memorial# 53402202.
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=53402202&ref=acom. Accessed
July 2017.
Interstate Publishing Company
1904 An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties: With an outline of the
early history of the state of Washington. Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic.
Luttrell, Charles T.
2006 Cultural Resources Investigations for the City of Yelm Stevens Street Improvement Project.
Prepared for City of Yelm, Yelm, Washington. Archaeological and Historical Services,
Cheney, Washington. Short Report 908.
Cultural Resources Survey for City of Yelm Splash Park, Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
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Nisqually Planning Department
1992 Nisqually Indian Tribe: Brief Profile. Available at the Timberland Regional Library.
unpublished. Accessed July 2017.
Prescott, Edgar
1979 Early Yelm. The Folly Press. Tacoma, Washington.
Ramsey, Guy Reed
1988 Postmarked Washington: Thurston County. Thurston County Historic Commission.
Sanborn Map Company.
1927 Sanborn Map. Yelm, Washington, Sheet 4. June 1927. Available at Multnomah County
Library, Research Tools. Accessed July 2017.
Sharley, Ann
2008 Cultural Resources Survey for the City of Yelm Coates Road SE Improvement Project.
Prepared for City of Yelm, Yelm, Washington. Archaeological and Historical Services,
Cheney, Washington. Short Report 974.
Suttles, Wayne, and Barbara Lane
1990 Southwestern Coast Salish. In Northwest Coast, edited by Wayne Suttles, pp. 485- 502.
Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 7, William C. Sturtevant, general editor,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Bureau of the Census
1860 Federal Census Non-Population Schedules: Agriculture. Census Place: Thurston Washington:
Page: 7; Line: 27: Abijah O’Neal. Available on Ancestry.com, Accessed July 18, 2017.
1870 Federal Census: Census Place: Yelm Precinct, Thurston, Washington Territory: Page 1; Line
7. Abijah O’Neal. Available on Ancestry.com, Accessed July 18, 2017.
Washington Territory
1854 Acts of the Legislative Assembly: Of the Territory of Washington, passed at the ... regular
session. Olympia: G.B. Goudy, Public Printer. p. 465.