Setting Up Camp
One hundred years ago this week, on January 6, 1917, Pierce County residents voted to bond themselves for $2 million to purchase 70,000
acres of land on the Nisqually Plains at American Lake. The area had been used to hold military maneuvers since 1904, prompting local civic leaders to lobby support for a military camp. After its purchase the land was turned over to the federal government free of charge for development into Camp Lewis.
Construction of the camp began under the guidance of Captain David L.
Stone, and new recruits moved in just as America mobilized for war. Within days after their arrival, enterprising merchants set up shop in hastily built shacks near the entrance to sell snacks and souvenirs, as well as to operate more illicit ventures, such as gambling, bootleg liquor sales, and prostitution. Camp officials quickly cordoned off this "Joy Zone" and began providing good, clean fun and other amenities for the soldiers and their visitors.
After World War I ended, the camp fell into decline as military activities ground to a standstill. Federal appropriations breathed new life into the facilities, and in 1927 the camp was renamed Fort Lewis. In 1936 Stone, now a major general, returned to command the post for one year. Soon after he retired and moved into Thornewood Castle, Fort Lewis once again prepared for war. Gray Army Airfield was built in 1938, and future generals Mark
Clark and Dwight D. Eisenhower served at Fort Lewis during their rise through the ranks.
Over the years, Fort Lewis has been home to the U.S. Army's 361st Infantry
Regiment of the 91st Division, 15th Regiment, and 9th Infantry Division, as well as the 161st Infantry Regiment of the Washington National Guard and the 41st Infantry Division of the Pacific Northwest National Guard. The fort has provided its soldiers and their families with education, recreation, medical care, and family resources. In 2010, Fort Lewis and McChord Air
Force Base merged to become Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Starting Up Cities
Apparently the new year is a popular time for Washington cities to form or incorporate, as this week bears out, beginning with the incorporation of Walla Walla on January 11, 1862. On January 8, 1875, George and Mary Jane Washington founded the town of Centerville, which later became Centralia. And on January 7, 1884, Tacoma City and New Tacoma merged into one to become simply Tacoma.
On January 7, 1893, Wenatchee incorporated as a fourth-class city, and soon proclaimed itself the "Apple Capital of the World." Exactly 10 years later,
Monroe was incorporated and later became known for its dairy farms, as well as home to the state reformatory. Georgetown incorporated on January 8,
1904, but was annexed by Seattle six years later. And on January 7, 1908, the newly incorporated town of Poulsbo held its first council meeting.
