Submitted by the Chambers Creek Foundation.
The following is from the Chambers Creek Foundation Newsletter.
This e-newsletter represents the first in a yearlong series focusing on the past, present, and future of Chambers Creek Regional Park. Our knowledge of that history was almost entirely assembled by one of the Foundation’s founding members and long-time board member Joe Scorcio, who managed the site’s transition from a gravel mine into the beautiful public space you see today.
Sadly, Joe passed away earlier this month before this first newsletter was released. It seems fitting to dedicate this 2024 series to Joe’s memory and acknowledge our debt to his longtime service and sharing of his deep knowledge.
Joe Scorcio was an expert in the field of urban planning and design and he was also a visionary and motivating force that helped make Chambers Creek Regional Park a reality. He began his Pierce County work on the park in 1986 and he was still working on it with the Foundation until he became ill.
It has been an honor for all of us who have served on the Foundation’s Board — both past and present — to work with Joe as either the Pierce County Liaison to the Board or as a board member.
Looking Back
The History of Chambers Creek Regional Park
Spectacular views of Mount Rainier. Roughly 930 acres of creek-, canyon- and saltwater shoreline-filled land in an urban setting where dogs walk, people golf, and kites and kids fill up the summer skies and grass. That’s how we know Chambers Creek Regional Park today. But how did we get to this point? Turns out, there’s a long and interesting history behind the area dating back thousands of years.
Prehistory
Numerous cultural resource studies conducted on-site over the years show a diverse archaeological record of hunter-gatherers dating back some 10,000 years. More recently and specifically, the Steilacoom people had their main village located at the mouth of Chambers Bay.
The Steilacoom
The Puget Salish-speaking Steilacoom shared the same language with the nearby Puyallup and Nisqually people and were closely associated with the two. The Steilacoom village, Ste!le’lqub, filtered out from the bay up both sides of Chambers Creek. There, villagers fished the creek and bay for salmon, herring, flounder, cod, and perch. They also harvested shellfish, plants, berries, and acorns, and hunted bear, elk, deer, and waterfowl. The Steilacoom Tribe continues to move forward and is led by tribal citizens and their Steilacoom Tribal Council. Learn more here.
European Settlers Arrive
As was the case with much of the Pacific Northwest and beyond, the Hudson’s Bay Company was responsible for bringing the first-known European settlers to the area. In the 1830s, the British trading company established a post at the mouth of nearby Sequalitchew Creek and began branching out, acquiring land via the newly established Puget Sound Agricultural Company. The company also began to build more permanent structures, many of which became part of British Fort Nisqually.
In Other News
Take a Spiritual Walk
Take a quiet and contemplative walk along the Chambers Creek Labyrinth, located near the Environmental Services Building on Chambers Creek Rd. W. in University Place. A labyrinth is a winding circular path that some say can help calm the mind and even spark creativity. This one has a stellar view of Mount Rainier. The labyrinth is 50 feet around and cost $70,000 to construct in 2002. The Chambers Creek Foundation assisted the Tacoma Labyrinth Project with fundraising. The City of University Place and several donors helped make the project a reality.
Learn More
In early 1999, a handful of citizens came together to form the Chambers Creek Foundation. The nonprofit supports wide-ranging resources to enhance the development of the recreational, scientific, environmental, educational, and aesthetic elements of Chambers Creek Regional Park in support of the county’s Master Site Plan. Learn more and learn how you can get involved here.
