They used to burn ships at Richmond Beach

This is the sign up on the bluff at Richmond Beach park.

It gives historical information about the park and the names of the mountain peaks of the Olympic mountains that you can see on the horizon across the water.

Detail of the sign showing an "old boat burning at Richmond Beach"

My North King County Historic Sites Tour Map says this about Richmond Beach Saltwater Park: " From the early 1920s until the 1950s, salvage companies hauled wooden ships to the sand pit beach and burned them to obtain the scrap metal. Picnicking crowds gathered to watch the fires, which were announced in the newspapers. The site became a park in 1958. Scrap metal from the fires can still be found on the beach."

And this, according to the sign up on the bluff at Richmond Beach park "...old ships that were no longer being used for shipping were brought down to Richmond Beach and burned. The newspapers gave notice when this was going to occur on certain nights. It was quite a show and well attended." (as recollected by Helen Cox Oltman)

Scrap metal from the ship fires?

Part of the sign on the bluff

The beach

View from the bluff

Do you remember when they used to burn ships off of (what is now) Richmond Beach Park? If so, please leave your recollections in the comment section or email me. We'd love for you to share your story!

Link to: All posts about Richmond Beach