The Pacific Highway Olympia to Tacoma

Olympia

In 1846 when Edmund Sylvester and Levi Smith settled at what will become the city of Olympia, the only way to get there was to take a canoe from Tumwater. The first land connection between these settlements was a trail that was cut out of the forest in 1847. This trail was widened for wagons in 1853, and a wooden bridge over the Deschutes river was constructed between the middle and upper falls. In 1854 the first bridge to the east side of Olympia was built and in 1869, the first bridge to the west side was built.

Swantown

Olympia was built on a small peninsula pointing north into Budd's Inlet. The original shoreline at the north end of this peninsula was near State Avenue, though there was a smaller point that extended a little further north between Columbia and Washington streets, and ended at Thurston Avenue. At low tide, the East and West bay would become mudflats which extended over a half mile north of town. The mud flats presented difficulty for ocean going vessels as they could not get close to the shore. To remedy this, a "long wharf" as it was known, was built over the mud to deep water.

Lacey
Lacey is located about 4 miles east of Olympia on the Pacific Highway. The city is surrounded by 5 beautiful lakes that were carved out during ice age. The town is 17.66 square miles and in 2021, had a population of over 50,000. The city also has several championship golf courses, miles of hiking and biking paths, and more than 1,200 acres of public parkland. The 3,700-acre Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge just 5 miles northeast of town, provides residents with virtually unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The Nisqually Bottom

The Nisqually river begins its journey on the southern slopes of Mt. Rainier and flows in a northwest direction and empties into Puget Sound just south of Anderson island at what is known as Nisqually Reach. The Nisqually Reach is a portion of Puget Sound south of the Tacoma Narrows, at the mouth of the Nisqually river and is classified as a bay by the United States Government. It was originally defined as "the portion of the Sound lying between Anderson Island and the mainland." The river is approximately 81 miles long and has a drainage area of 675 square miles. There are a number of creeks and rivers feeding it including the Paradise and Mashel rivers, and Mineral, Ohop, Pyramid and Kautz creeks.

The Nisqually Cut-Off

The Pacific Highway was completed in 1924 and was the longest continuous stretch of concrete pavement in the world. This new highway eliminated the annoying elbow joints in the old road, reduced the steep grades on the hills, and removed the dangerous railroad crossings. The road was modern for its time, but as traffic continued to increase with each passing year, and autos were becoming faster and larger, the new highway was beginning to become obsolete not long after its completion.

Crossing the Plains

In the early days of settlement on Puget Sound, Olympia and Steilacoom were the largest population centers. At first the only way to travel between these places was to either rent a canoe or take the trail to the Upper crossing at McKenna and follow the Hudson's Bay road. This long circuitous route was used because the Lower crossing was dangerous and could not be forded. The Nisqually sometimes would camp out at the Lower crossing and ferry travelers across in their canoes for .25 cents a person. Animals would have to swim across but it was very dangerous to do so.

South Tacoma

Between Dupont and South Tacoma the Pacific Highway traverses the Steilacoom plains. The plains were created during the Ice Age when the escaping water drained across the area while depositing 100s of feet of glacial till as it flowed westward toward the sea. This is what gives the plains its gravelly soil. As you continue north on South Tacoma Way, and after passing S. 74th St., you begin to enter the South Tacoma drainage channel.

Bob's Java Jive

In 1929, Otis G. Button wanted to start a restaurant to the serve motorists traveling on the Pacific Highway. Following the advice from his neighbor Bert Symser he built a building that resembled a large coffee pot. The coffee pot building is 26 feet high and 30 feet in diameter. Button called it the Coffee Pot Restaurant. The restaurant opened its doors in 1930 and served coffee, doughnuts and low budget breakfast meals known as blue plate specials.