The Pacific Northwest - Squaxin Park, formerly Priest Point Park (A Darker Side to Olympia History)

In this episode of Searching for History, Erin and I discuss the name change from Priest Point Park to Squaxin Park and visit several locations around Olympia. The Squaxin Island Tribe has lived on the lands and waters around Budd Inlet since time immemorial. The land that is now the City of Olympia, was once known by a Lushootseed name that means, frequented by black bears. The area and the Squaxin people who lived in villages along the shores of Budd Inlet were known as the Steh-Chass. A village that was once located at Olympia was called, Steh-Chass. In 1848, French Catholic missionaries, known as the Oblate Fathers, established a mission on Budd Inlet. Father Pascal Ricard, established the St. Joseph d’Olympia Mission and School for Native American boys, with the purpose of conversion to Christianity. The school was a forced assimilation school and terrible piece of Olympia history that not many people know about. After the dissolution of the mission, the property changed hands many times, and the majority of the land eventually ended up becoming a park owned by the City of Olympia. Originally named Priest Point Park, the name was changed to Squaxin Park in April of 2022. Please join us as we visit Olympia and Squaxin Park and talk about Budd Inlet’s cultural history and the history of the park’s former Catholic mission and school.
#thurstoncounty
#olympia
#washingtonstate
#travelwashingtonstate
#washingtonstatehistory
#squaxinpark
Music Attributions
Song 1: To the Top by Silent Partner (KZbin Audio Library License, no attribution is required)
Song 2: Snowy Peaks pt I by Chris Haugen (KZbin Audio Library License, no attribution is required)

[@erinlikesacornishpasty4703]

We are trying a little different approach to story telling and making a video. Let us know what you think.

[@searchingforhistory]

Yes, tell us what you think!

[@ExploreTayo]

Given the material you had to work with, I think it told the story pretty well. But always adding maps to show where this is located would be good 😊

[@ExploreTayo]

Schools like that are a huge black mark on US history, thanks for covering it in the context of your community.

[@searchingforhistory]

@@ExploreTayo Yeah, it is an unfortunate history.

[@searchingforhistory]

@@ExploreTayo Doh! You are correct, I forgot to add a map!

[@lmrandlette]

Thanks for sharing this important - relatively recent- history with the broader community. I remember when you worked on this site, documenting the remaining artifacts. Years ago, I found remnants of a logging camp on my property nearby. There were no early records showing this site and the related logging activity, just altered terrain that must have resulted from logging roads…

[@searchingforhistory]

Lisa! You found our youtube channel! I'm sure you heard me going on and on about that site... Was there logging camp rubbish at your logging camp site? Just the other day, I saw a Quartermaster Harbor mooring buoy map hanging on the wall and thought of you. It is so wonderful to see your words.

[@lmrandlette]

@ Ah yes ~ Quartermaster Harbor was a challenging community planning process. I enjoyed working with the local people and helping get the boat mooring mess sorted out. Plus we were able to remove those derelict vessels with assistance from King County. It was worth all the effort. The logging camp on my property had an assortment of artifacts, from a large, two-handled saw blade, to glass bottles.

[@MrHobj34]

I believe about 14 years ago i was helping work on that restoration project. 2 weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending Save the Orcas, we planted native shrubs and trees near the creek. Love this beautiful town

[@searchingforhistory]

That is cool. Thanks for watching.

[@msell8107]

Very well done! Thank you! 🐚🐚🐚

[@searchingforhistory]

You are welcome! We are glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@sirkyoj1]

Love this! I have been looking for local history!

[@searchingforhistory]

We are happy you enjoyed the video. We have other videos on local history. Please take a look. Thanks for watching!

[@earthandtime5817]

Fantastic video. Thanks for sharing a forgotten story and an important and dark one for sure. Keep up the good stuff.

[@searchingforhistory]

Thanks glad you liked it!

[@iviewthetube]

This type of information makes my kayaking trips all the more interesting.

[@searchingforhistory]

That is a goal of ours, to shed light on the history in the landscape around us. Glad to know sharing this information will make your kayaking trips more interesting! Thanks for watching and thanks for leaving a comment!

[@carolmelton9067]

I always enjoy learning something new. I do wonder if you have ever approached anyone from one of the tribes to get their perspective. We are so used to history being taught from the settler perspective, I would love to hear some of the tribal memories of the same events. I realize that would add a huge amount to the already high workload of producing these videos, and I do appreciate the time and effort you put into them. It's just a thought I had. Thanks!

[@searchingforhistory]

No problem. Ask any question and I will do my best to answer. No I have not specifically approached a Tribal member on this subject. The closest I have gotten is hearing an anecdote spoken by a tribal member while attending an unrelated meeting. In a couple cases, some of the information presented in the video did come from Tribal member written accounts that we found on the internet. The video is 100% based on information we found on the internet. In the end, we just have to keep moving on to making the next video. However, if a Tribal member watches this video and wants to provide more information, we would be happy to listen and learn.

[@lgarcia4331]

I grew up going to Priest Point. Wasn't aware of the history of it or that the name had changed until I came across your video. Thank you!

[@searchingforhistory]

You are very welcome. I imagine not many people know about that history. One goal of Searching for History is to show the history, good or bad around the area where we live. Thanks for watching!

[@isabellavalencia8026]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your amazing knowledge

[@searchingforhistory]

We are really glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@RoadWarrior-ht1uw]

Great video! I think you are doing a great job. Keep up the great work.

[@searchingforhistory]

Thank you! Will do! Thanks for watching!

[@goldenroux612]

Boarding schools is a sanitized name for what were actually concentration camps. Do you know why the people who survived were remanded to Squaxin Island by then General Stevens? This was because some families refused to sign the medicine creek treaty. They were sent to the island because it had no fresh water source on it. When they tried to leave by canoe to gather supplies they were shot at from Steamboat Island and Arcadia point.

[@searchingforhistory]

Well, that's horrible.

[@dongrinolds140]

Very interesting video. What remains of this tribe and did they successfully assimilate.

[@searchingforhistory]

The native people that once lived on Budd Inlet before the Euro-Americans arrived are the Squaxin Island Tribe. squaxinisland.org/government/info/

[@destonlee2838]

Good job, keep it up old friend!

[@searchingforhistory]

I'm glad you liked it. Check out our most recent video on the Puget Sound War. We learned a lot putting this one together. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqjVY3Z4pJysmtU

[@PipPop2]

love learning the history !

[@searchingforhistory]

We are glad you liked it! We will have more local (washington state) history videos coming out soon. Stay tuned. Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@deborahmolenda2112]

Great video!

[@searchingforhistory]

Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked it!

[@MrMarkAMartin]

Love this, more please, North America has endless content

[@searchingforhistory]

We are working on it. More content is coming. 🙂 Thanks for watching!

[@guyhaley]

BRO! Im a transplant into the Longview Kelso area. This place is just over 100 years old but we got some brick structures way older than that story. The Oak trees lining washington street are almost 400 years old. One fell and i counted 375 rings. Theres underground tunnels . Nothing adds up to the narrative. Is all of Washington state like this?

[@searchingforhistory]

I am not sure how to answer your question... Outside of Hudson Bay Company forts, there wasn't much Euro-american development in Washington state before the 1840s. The oldest documented structure built by Euro-Americans is the 1792 Spanish Fort Núñez Gaona on the shore of Neah Bay, which no longer exists. The earliest Euro-American structures in Washington would be around 200 years old at the most. The oldest building that I am aware of that exists today is the original Fort Nisqually granary building which is now located at today's Fort Nisqually was built in 1843. I can't explain why you would have 400 year old oak trees lining a street in the Longview area... the only explanation is 1) they are natural and predate the establishment of the city but a more likely explanation is 2) you were counting both the summer growth and the winter growth as separate years. I would love to learn more about the underground tunnels! Thanks for watching!

[@harleyhawk7959]

use to work a p.p.p. I built the trail around eld inet. little known fact, the pilings in eld inlet, people said it rafted logs, it was an old bridge.

[@searchingforhistory]

Interesting, which pilings?

[@harleyhawk7959]

walking on trail along the bay, around the cove toward the north, which starts at the bay where the cannon placement sat, which would be to right. Another tid-bit, walking around the cove, then back up the other side, walking up to a slight point overlook, there used to be a gun in placement that sat there during ww2. There was a dug out pit area where it sat. I haven't been there now for over 30years.

[@tamijones992]

Anywhere a non native have old cities were native settlements first. taken is the key word from the past

[@searchingforhistory]

Thanks for watching!

[@Philobeddoe12]

How about a little less historical background and more walking around showing us the park. Your deliveries sound forced. You are obviously reading the narration.

[@searchingforhistory]

Not read but trying from memory. Trying to remember what we want to say with the camera recording is a skill we are learning. Was there anything you liked about the video? 🙂 Thanks for watching!

[@StephenGrover-zc4hp]

It will always be PPP to me!

[@josephclark8946]

An interesting bit of our local history, thanks for sharing. Also a common theme often repeated around the country in our nations history but important to acknowledge and remember. Unfortunately there are those to whom this would be too ‘woke’ and would best be left swept under the rug.

[@searchingforhistory]

Well... it's the truth, and if we don't learn about history, we are doomed to repeat it. If you liked this video, check out our Puget Sound War video thar came out today. Thanks for watching!

[@lesjones5684]

I love you ❤️😘

[@searchingforhistory]

We are so happy you like the video. Thanks for watching!

[@42D6JD210C]

This is B.S.

[@searchingforhistory]

The whole thing? 🙂

[@42D6JD210C]

Priest point park.@@searchingforhistory

[@BillHale-bh7fh]

I grew up in oly not the place it used to be 😢 Moved because it's a hell hole now no better than Tacoma!!!!!!!!

[@searchingforhistory]

Thanks for watching!

[@scottschultz6573]

Yeah, well, now imagine how the Steh-chas people felt, when the white settlers moved in and took over and changed everything.

[@searchingforhistory]

@@scottschultz6573 I can't imagine. Thanks for watching!

[@StephenGrover-zc4hp]

The liberals took over Olympia in early 70's with Evergreen College. You can see where it's gotten us! I've lived here over 60 years and Still think of Sea Mart store and the old Olympia, gone forever!