Fort Steilacoom Plays Key Role in Lakewood's Future and Past

Fort Steilacoom, located on Western State Hospital grounds, was constructed in 1849. It's the first formal presence of the United States government north of the Columbia River. It was an engine that fueled the growing economy of American settlers and traders. It brought hard currency, a legal system and settlement legitimacy in what was British territory at the time.

Fort Steilacoom represents the center of the early development in Lakewood. A free event will show its historic significance and the role it played many years ago. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17. Donations are accepted.

During the event, visitors will experience a “living history” walk-through of the remaining four original buildings and how soldiers, officers, their family and area settlers played out their lives as if the year was 1856, the high point of the the fort's operations. Additionally, they will go back into history as soldiers debate the merits of the looming Civil War, relations with Native Americans, the British neighbors at nearby Fort Nisqually and living military life on the frontier.

The Historic Fort Steilacoom Museum faces a challenge to preserve and present its local history at the grounds of the massive state mental hospital. For starters, there are security measures that must be enforced.

To that end, Western State Hospital officials released a 218-page Cultural Resource Management Plan that outlines options to promote Lakewood’s roots at the center of a working hospital.

“The WSH medical complex must concern itself with safety and security issues and patient privacy," the report stated. "Across Steilacoom Boulevard, Fort Steilacoom Park welcomes more than 93,000 people annually to events and recreational activities. A key piece of the landscape that has a foot in both worlds is Historic Fort Steilacoom. Neither completely public, nor completely private, it is an island within the institution.”

The plan suggests this could change by tying in the fort complex to the park activities across Steilacoom Boulevard through an expansion of the Discovery Trails project and improving the pedestrian tunnel under the roadway.

The report continues by saying the Fort Steilacoom Park could be used to orient visitor facilities, house exhibits, launch walking tours and rehabilitate the historic barns as a catalyst for a potential visitor's center.

More programming linking the two sites might be explored, the report stated. Expect more on this plan and improvements at Fort Steilacoom as city officials outline a master plan for Fort Steilacoom Park next year.