Memories of growing up in Richmond Beach

I got a great email from Gary Sisson. He was searching for some photos online and came across my earlier post "They Used to Burn Ships at Richmond Beach" (link below). The post prompted Gary to share the following remembrances:

My name is Gary Sisson and I grew up in Richmond Beach during the 50's and 60's. I remember the long wooden keels radiating out from the point at the sand dune. There were still many ribs and floor timbers rising from the keels and rusty metal everywhere. I was there last Sunday with my son and showed him where we had lived and played. We lived in the grey house built in 1890 just uphill from the other old 2 story red one on the south side of 185th. Mr. Umbrite lived there first, then the Dorans.(in the red one). My dad was originally from Cape Cod and it was traditional there to paint one's chimney white with a black cap. My dad did this about 1960 and I see nobody has touched it. Pretty fun to see. I have thought about the ship burnings often, though it was apparently over by the time we arrived in about 1955. It was a wonderful playground. I was online looking for a photo I remember seeing long ago of the remains of the ships. I'm thinking of forging a front door latch from some old iron collected from the site. Imagine where it's been!.  Gary Sisson. Olga, (Orcas Island), Wa.

Thanks Gary! 

If anyone else has memories of Richmond Beach or Shoreline from "back in the day", please send them along so I can share them here.

Link to: more info about Gary Sisson

Link to: earlier post 'They used to burn ships at Richmond Beach"

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