History of DuPont WA
History of DuPont WA
Northwest Landing was first seen by outsiders in 1792, when British
Captain George Vancouver and a party of explorers cruised down the body of water he named
Puget Sound.
In 1832, William Ouverie and "two other hands" landed on the
shore of Puget Sound at the mouth of Sequalitchew Creek, to start trading with the
Indians. They were left with "a keg of nails, a bag of potatoes, a bag of
flour", some breads and other trinkets for barter. They built a small house 15
x 20 during the first twelve days they were here.
In 1833, the Hudson's
Bay Company set up shop on the site in a trading post called Fort Nisqually. The company
raised livestock and crops to sell to Russian outposts in Alaska, customers around the
Pacific Rim and back home in Britain. Some of the trees planted at the fort still bear
fruit. (Fort Nisqually's buildings were moved in 1934 to Point Defiance Park in Tacoma.)
In 1994 the site was donated to the Archaeological Conservancy, a national preservation
organization.
The 1833 site can still be viewed today as golfers play on DuPont's championship golf
course, The Home Course.
In fact it is rumored that the first settlers to the area created a six-hole golf course,
which would become the first golf course in the Pacfic Northwest.
In 1841, the bluff overlooking Puget Sound and the mouth of Sequalitchew Creek served as
an observatory for a major U.S. scientific expedition. At what is now Northwest Landing,
members of the expedition under Captain Charles Wilkes set up an
observatory (Wilkes Observatory), charted lower Puget Sound and designated landmark names
still in use today.
In the same year during the expedition, DuPont, WA played host to the first 4th of July
Celebration west of the Mississippi and on the Pacific Coast, there is a marker in town to
indicate its presence too.
In 1869, the U.S. government bought the Hudson's Bay Company property. Hudson's Bay
Company moved north to British Columbia, and U.S. homesteaders moved in.
In 1906, E.I. du Pont de
Nemours and Co. acquired the property from a variety of owners. The City of DuPont
began as a company town -- with more than 100 houses, a church, butcher shop and hotel.
DuPont started out as a town of tar-papered covered buildings, which could be built in one
day. This area was known as "Old Town". Sadly, after construction
began in what is now the Historic Village, these houses were torn down and nothing remains
of these homes. In a most eerie twist of fate, the TyVek (R)
material used to wrap homes being built by Quadrant Homes in the town of DuPont
is made by none other than the DuPont company!
In 1951, residents were allowed to purchase their homes, and the city was incorporated,
for the second time (first time in 1912 so the town could sell wine to the workers). The
City of DuPont is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the only former
company town in the state in which most of the homes maintain historic integrity.
Adjacent to the historic village, DuPont operated a manufacturing plant for nearly 70
years, producing explosives that were used to blast stumps, clear roadways and fight two
World Wars. In 1976, the plant was closed and DuPont sold its 3,200 acres to the
Weyerhaeuser Company with the intention of utilizing the site as a wood and paper products
manufacturing center and export center for shipment of forest product to the Far East and
Europe.
By 1983, the Weyerhaeuser started considering other uses for the site, including
industrial, commercial and/or residential uses, independent of the proposed export
facility. When changes within the global market dropped for forest industry products by
1985, Weyerhaeuser deemed the site no longer economically feasible for industrial wood
manufacturing and export use. Weyerhaeuser changed its focus to land development by
creating a new type of livable community often referred to as “New
Urbanism.” The objective of Weyerhaeuser was to sell its property and leave
after completion of its planned community which it named “Northwest
Landing.” Plans to create a livable community included setting aside 1.386 acres
of open space (37% of the entire city), including 20 miles of trails.
Surrounding the Historic DuPont Village, a green buffer of 56.17 acres was donated by
Weyerhaeuser in 1986 as a designated National Historic District to preserve its character
and uniqueness. By 2000, Weyerhaeuser spent more than $1 million during 23 years of
archaeological research to identify all significant artifacts and sites while removing
contaminated soil left from the DuPont Co.
With their Quadrant Real Estate management subsidiary, Weyerhaeuser retained the same feel
of small town character in its Northwest Landing development by keeping the Craftsman
style architecture throughout its development of both the residential areas and the
business district. The charm that is DuPont remains with the newly created residential
neighborhoods with tree lined streets, vicinity parks, porches and garages with both alley
and front access. Buyers were able to select from a range of floor plans, with many
variations. Design guidelines at NWL made sure that every neighborhood included a variety
of styles, colors and materials.
In 1995, Northwest Landing was named “Best Master Planned Community of the
Year” by the Master Builders Association. In 1997, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency recognized the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company and designer Calthorpe
Associates for ‘smart growth principles’ for Northwest Landing.
“Smart growth principles’ promotes urban designs that include walkable
communities with trails, businesses and public transit in close proximity to a variety of
homes.
DUPONT HISTORICAL TIMELINE
Pre-1800s Native American people make seasonal and permanent homes.
1833 Hudson’s Bay Company builds first Fort Nisqually.
1839 – 1842 Methodist missionaries operate Mission.
1841 U.S. Wilkes Expedition exploring party builds an observatory
overlooking Puget Sound to help create charts.
1843 Hudson’s Bay Company builds second Fort Nisqually.
1869 U.S. homesteaders continue to move in as Hudson’s Bay
Company withdraws to Canada.
1906 E.I. du Pont de Memours buys up farms for an explosives plant and
company town.
1927 – 28 DuPont Company erects concrete markers for the 1833
Fort, 1843 Fort, the Methodist Mission, and the Wilkes Observatory.
1934 Tacoma Young Men’s Business Club removes the oldest
surviving structure (1843 Granary) from the site to Point Defiance Park for restoration.
1934 The U.S. removes the ‘Factor’s House’
or ‘Huggins House’ (1853-54) to Point Defiance Park.
1974 1833 Fort Nisqually site placed on the National Register of
Historic Places and the Washington Heritage Register.
1975 DuPont Powder Works closes.
1976 Weyerhaeuser Company purchases the DuPont Powder Works 3,200 acre
site, which would later be developed as “Northwest Landing.”
1977 First archaeological investigation and first cultural resources
agreement completed.
1979 Sequalitchew Village and Nisqually House placed on the National
Register of Historic Places and the Washington Heritage Register.
1987 The DuPont Village Historic District is established and listed on
the National Register of Historic Places and the Washington Heritage Register.
1988 A cultural resources management program is agreed upon. Northwest
Landing construction begins with first roads and utilities.
1991 Court ordered remediation of DuPont factory site established.
1993 Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Co. donates the site of the
Hudson’s Bay Company 1843 Fort Nisqually to the Archaeological Conservancy.
1994 First homeowners move into Northwest Landing.
1995 State Farm, Intel, and Westblock Pacific become corporate employers
at Northwest Landing.
1999 The 1843 Fort Nisqually site is nominated for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places and the Washington Heritage Register.
2006 DuPont celebrates its centennial.
The DuPont Historical Society Museum was opened in 1977 and organized as a nonprofit
corporation in 1982 in recognition of the unique role DuPont has played in the historic
and industrial legacy of the Puget Sound region. A steering committee of 10 members is
responsible for museum displays, artifacts, programs and staffing. Group tours to view the
museum and historical markers can be arranged by calling (253) 964-8121. The museum is
open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
For more historical information, contact Washington State Historical Society Museum (253)
593-2830 or DuPont Historical Museum (253) 964-8121.
Thanks to the DuPont Historical Society, DuPont Museum, Northwest Landing ROA, May G.
Munyan, Robbie Robinson, and especially Ms. Synthia Santos (I Corps and Fort Lewis
Historian) for their contributions to this page's content!
Click here to view DuPont's
City Data
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