From the Digital Archives: 1963 Olympia from the air
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(Photo courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)
Ever wonder what Olympia looked like 50 years ago? Just see this photo. It’s an aerial shot of our state’s capital taken on Sept. 9, 1963. The photo, found on our State Digital Archives website, was taken above Tumwater and looking to the north. You can see Interstate 5 cutting through Tumwater and across the south end of Capitol Lake before snaking its way through Olympia. Back then, I-5 was only two lanes in each direction. It wouldn’t be until the 1980s that a lengthy project expanded I-5 to its current configuration. Just before I-5 reaches the lake, you can see where U.S. 101 begins its path toward West Olympia and beyond. Note the forested land north of 101 that would eventually be the home of the Thurston County Courthouse, the Red Lion Hotel and many office and apartment buildings. The photo shows the train trestle dividing the lake, but note there is no pedestrian bridge next to it. Marathon Park wouldn’t be built next to the lake for at least another 20 years. This photo is part of the State Digital Archives’ Port of Olympia Commissioners Photograph Collection. This collection includes 110 digitized photographs taken between 1946 and 1974 and collected by the port commissioners. Most of them are aerial photos.(html)
Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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