The beginnings of Kneeland Park

In a letter to the Journal in the 1970s, Emma Richert wrote about her memories of Kneeland Park as it was in 1912.

"It was an inlet or slough of saltwater at high tide, spotted with a big uprooted stump, rubber tires, etc., all decorated with barnacles. The wooden sidewalk on First Street crossed the slough area considerably above the water level. When walking across, it was fun to slow down and listen to the echoing sound of our footsteps. It runs in my mind that the area originally belonged to a well-known Indian family - it may have been the Slocums. Later it was owned by W. H. Kneeland."

On May 7, 1920, a front-page article in the Journal addressed the large volume of traffic traveling on the Olympic Highway through Shelton, and the need to provide tourists with a suitable campground. It suggested that "the Kneeland tract of about two blocks of land sheltered by fine trees and wild shrubbery could easily be cleaned and opened up for the purpose."

A committee representing the town took the matter up with the Kneeland Investment Co., asking for a price on the property. The company "entered into the spirit of the matter" and donated the property for public park purposes, explaining: "The late W. H. Kneeland was active in both public and political affairs in the county, but during his later years transferred most of his interests to Olympia. The Kneeland Investment Co. still retains a friendly concern for the old hometown, and it would be most fitting to mark the site of his earlier activities with the name of Kneeland Camp Grounds."

On May 20, Mayor F. C. Mathewson signed an official proclamation declaring the afternoon of Wednesday, May 26, 1920, to be a civic holiday and calling on the people of Shelton to cease from their usual and customary occupations and devote said holiday to improving and beautifying Kneeland Park. Promptly at 1 p.m., businesses would close their doors and schools would be dismissed. All were asked to "furnish tools if possible, but come anyway. Those who have investigated the park carefully say that with comparatively little effort it can be made into an excellent camping ground. It is the purpose of the Park Committee to make it accessible at once to tourists for this purpose. Plenty of pretty girls will be on hand to pass out lemonade for thirsty workers."

On the day, "the men folks repaired to the scene armed with the necessary tools and the ladies and children came also to lend a hand, and best yet, they brought along refreshments." Two county trucks were put to good use hauling gravel to make a roadway, and a Fordson tractor was kept busy hauling out old logs and rotten timbers that had once formed the warehouse and engine house of W. H. Kneeland's Shelton Southwestern Railroad.

Lemonade was served during the afternoon, and about 200 people were on the grounds for the cafeteria-style lunch that was served at 5 p. m. "The businessmen and office workers may have found the work a little hard and raised a few blisters along with their appetites, but the occasion passed without accident and the first-aid crew had no call for their services."

By the end of the day, all debris, logs and underbrush had been cleared away and the ground was ready to provide a camping area for auto tourists, although "there is much more to be done, as the aim is to have the best campgrounds in the state." Posts had been set and poles were on the ground for a rustic fence to enclose the park. Relays of citizens were expected to finish the work in spare evenings.

"A fine spring rises on the property, which will provide an abundance of our celebrated water but requires to be cleaned of decayed logs and old vegetation. The beauty of the spot lies in its natural trees and shrubbery, which have been disturbed as little as possible, leaving numerous secluded camp spots where strangers may be by themselves. It also remains to erect a large 'Kneeland Park' sign at the entrance on Olympic Highway."

While it was intended primarily as a campground for tourists, "the park being convenient to the town's people may be used for picnic purposes and the public should be encouraged to have family gatherings there and spend a little time in beautifying the grounds."

A story in the May 27 Journal announced that Kneeland Investment had donated additional land adjoining the park, and the new tract was being cleared, stumped and leveled for additional campgrounds and a second entrance to the park. Several new ovens were being built for campers. Some stagnant pools were being filled, to stop the mosquito nuisance and preserve the spring-fed pool. There were plans to plant trees along the park front and around the pool in the fall.

The first tourist party from the east to camp at Kneeland Park stated that they had come from Pennsylvania, and "nowhere had they found a nicer camping spot than Shelton's park."

■ Jan Parker is a researcher for the Mason County Historical Museum. She can be reached at [email protected]. Membership in the Mason County Historical Society is $25 per year. For a limited time, new members will receive a free copy of the book "Shelton, the First Century Plus Ten."