Historical Note

In May 1969, King County’s Home Rule Charter, a document that codifies the laws and regulations of King County as well as the structure of King County government, was adopted. The Charter established the elected office of King County Executive and defined the powers and duties of the office. These responsibilities have not changed since 1969.

The County Executive has supervisory power over all administrative offices and departments and is responsible for the county’s budget and comprehensive plans. The Executive also has the power to veto any county ordinance except as otherwise provided in the charter, and they are the legal signatory for all deeds, contracts and other instruments.

John Spellman served as the first King County Executive, holding office from 1969 until resigning to run for Washington State governor in 1980.

Historical Note

The Kingdome was a multi-purpose, covered stadium owned by King County and operated by the Department of Stadium Administration. By the 1950s, there was significant interest in constructing a domed sports stadium to attract new professional sports franchises to the county. In 1968, as a part of the Forward Thrust initiative, voters approved a $40 million bond for the stadium. On November 2, 1972, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the 35.9-acre site located south of downtown Seattle. Originally estimated at a cost of $30 million, the final project totaled nearly $67 million. On March 27, 1976, the 9.1-acre concrete-domed stadium opened.

During the height of its operations, the Kingdome served as home to four major sports teams and hosted numerous trade and consumer shows, concerts, and other special events. Depending upon the configuration required for a specific event, the stadium could seat up to 70,000 people. It featured a sports museum, several meeting rooms with banquet facilities, and a parking lot that could be leased for special events. During its 24-year operation, approximately 3,000 major events were held at the Kingdome. Proceeds from rentals, parking, and a percentage of the revenue generated from advertising and concessions covered its operations. The King County Executive appointed a director to supervise the administration of the Department of Stadium Administration.

Although the Kingdome hosted a full calendar of events during its initial years of operation, by the mid-1980s, the number of events declined significantly following the demise of the Seattle Sounders and the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics. The remaining regular sports tenants—the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks—grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Kingdome and demanded changes to the facility. In 1990, the Department of Stadium Administration issued a master plan for the comprehensive redevelopment of the facility and its site. Not satisfied with these renovations, the owners of the Seattle Mariners insisted that a new stadium was the only way to keep the franchise in Seattle. In 1994, the Kingdome sat empty for nearly five months because the ceiling needed repair and a strike by Major League Baseball resulted in fewer games.

Prospective new ownership of the Seahawks also demanded a new facility, and in 1997, voters approved funding for a new football stadium to replace the Kingdome. A new baseball stadium and exhibition center was planned south of the Kingdome site, while a new football stadium was planned in place of the Kingdome. In early 2000, the Department of Stadium Administration ceased operation, and on March 26, 2000, the Kingdome was destroyed by implosion.

Historical Note

In 1948, the King County Parks System was established as an independent department. In 1972, it was designated as a subordinate unit within several county planning and resource departments. In 1997, the park programs resumed autonomy as the Parks and Recreation Department. Subsequently renamed the King County Park System, the agency encompassed three principal functional areas: administration; the Maintenance and Facilities Division; and the Recreation, Aquatics and Fairgrounds Division. An administrative section, the Program Development and Land Management Section (PDLM), experienced notable growth after 1997, reflecting the Park System's goal of establishing itself as a key steward of natural resource lands and wildlife habitat through the acquisition, preservation and management of forests, farmland, wetlands, and natural areas in King County. As of 2002, the Park System became a division within the newly reorganized Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

Content Description

The following topics are prominently represented within the collection: 1950s recreation programs for persons born female and disabled youth; facilities and programs developed in partnership with local school districts (1950s-1970s); facilities, particularly swimming pools, developed through the Forward Thrust capital improvement program (1968); recreation and leisure programs in the 1990s; and the development of regional parks and trails (1970s-1990s).

These materials exist in multiple formats including black-and-white prints and negatives, color prints and negatives, 35mm color slides, and glass slides (color and black-and-white). Aerial photographs, mostly circa 1969-1975, are present for many park sites and their adjacent neighborhoods.

Arrangement

Photo are arranged into seven subseries according to topic. Arrangement within each subseries is alphabetical by name of park, facility, event, or type of recreational program. Administrative photographs are arranged chronologically. Images have not generally been described individually.

Use Restrictions

Many images in this collection may be protected by copyright. Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes.

Separated Materials

The photograph files were originally located with Series 468: King County Parks' History Files but were separated due to their format.

Related Materials

Pre-1948 images of King County park facilities and structures are available in Series 400, Public Works Photograph Files.

Historical Note

In May 1969, King County’s Home Rule Charter, a document that codifies the laws and regulations of King County as well as the structure of King County government, was adopted. The Charter established the organization and structure of King County government, and it outlined the originally executive departments, including Public Works, Utilities and Transportation.

The newly formed department was developed largely out of the former Road Engineering Department and retained functional responsibilities for road construction and maintenance, flood control and drainage maintenance, and oversight of the county's five sewer districts. In addition, Public Works assumed responsibility of waste disposal (through incorporation of the Department of Sanitary Operations), surface water management (through incorporation of the Hydraulics Department), management of the King County Airport (Boeing Field), and the county motor vehicle pool.

These functions were organized into four core divisions: Airport (1969-1993); Hydraulics (1969-1980, subsequently Surface Water Management (1981-1994); Roads (1969-1994, known as the Roads and Engineering Division circa 1988-1994); and Solid Waste (1969-1994). Two smaller program units that functioned quasi-divisionally under the department director were Fleet Administration (1982-1994), which absorbed and expanded upon the county's Equipment Rental and Revolving Fund program (1969-1981); and Sewer (1969-1980), subsequently Sewer Utility (1981-1986).

In 1980, Administrative Services, a support division, was established to oversee department’s personnel and facilities management functions and provided clerical support to the operational divisions. In 1987, Administrative Services absorbed Community Relations (established 1980) and the Public Information Officer (established 1985). It also managed the promotion and development of recycling programs within King County for the Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials (1989-1994).

By 1982, the office was retitled Department of Public Works, and it was the largest single department in King County government. In 1986, the department was again restructured. The Sewer Utility division terminated in 1986 when King County relinquished management of its rural sewer districts and terminated the Sewer Utility Division. In 1993, the Airport Division transferred to the Department of Construction and Facilities Management.

In 1994-1996, King County eliminated the Department of Public Works as part of the merger with the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (METRO). Two new departments were formed—Department of Transportation and Department of Natural Resources—and each absorbed some of the divisions formerly part of Public Works. Fleet Administration and the Roads and Engineering Division became part of the Department of Transportation, while the Solid Waste, Surface Water Management, and the Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials became part of the Department of Natural Resources.

Content Description

The Department of Public Works collection consists of multiple different record series, including several that contain mostly photographs. The contents of each photograph series are as follows:

Bob Brittain photographs

This series consists of images collected, maintained, and taken by Department of Public Works Photographer Bob Brittain in his official capacity working for the department from 1968 to 1997. The images range in topic from roads, bridges, accidents, construction, floods and flood damage to Boeing field, aircraft, aerial views, ecology, machinery, and department staff. The format of the materials includes 2x3 and 4x5 negatives, cellulose nitrate negatives, and prints, as well as glass lantern and color slides.

Levee Inspection records

This series consists of field inspection reports of levees along Snoqualmie, Raging, Tolt, Cedar and Green rivers. The materials contain project information, levee location map and description, technical evaluation, conclusions, and recommendations. Color field photographs, keyed to caption lists, are present in most files.

Solid Waste Division photographs

This is an artificial intentionally assembled series created from duplicate copies of Solid Waste Division report Solid Waste 1981-1986 Capital Improvement Program (1980; Archives document #1882). Record information, originally intended to support the division's request for capital improvement funds, includes photocopied site maps and color aerial photographs of transfer stations and landfills at Bow Lake, Cedar Falls, Cedar Hills, Duvall, Enumclaw, Hobart, Northshore and Vashon.

Community Relations and Communications photographs

This series consists of more than 600 black and white and color images used for various Department of Public Works publications—chiefly annual reports and promotional projects. The records were maintained by staff member Jan Klippert. The series contains many images of construction projects, equipment, and department employees, many of whom are identified by name. The series also contains a small number of early photographs of the Fall City concrete bridge; an album of 1979 winter storm damage in King County; and images from three scrapbooks documenting recreational activities at Si View Park (1950s-1970s). The image formats range from 35mm and 4x5 negatives to 8x10, 5x7, and 3x5 photographs and contact sheets.

Arrangement

The materials in this collection are organized into series by topic, format, and creator. The creator’s original organization in the Community Relations and Communications series has mostly been maintained.

These files contain 2x3 and 4x5 negatives, cellulose nitrate negatives, prints, glass lantern and color slides. Bob Brittain, photographer for the Department of Public Works from 1968-1997, collected, maintained, and used early images for his work. Later files contain Brittain's own work. Topics include: roads, bridges, accidents, construction, floods and flood damage, Boeing field, aircraft, aerial views, ecology, scenery, machinery, work methods and workers.Please contact the Archives with questions, or to schedule a viewing appointment.

Historical Note

In 1900, King County began purchasing, constructing, and maintaining public wharves, primarily as dock facilities for its ferry service on Puget Sound and Lakes Union and Washington. Starting approximately in 1924, administrative oversight of wharves became a function of the county engineer's office. The rise of land-based transportation following World War II forced the county to remove abandoned and unsafe wharves or convert others to recreational purposes.

Content Description

These files constitute a record of county wharf and ferry facilities, as well as rock bunkers and sea bulkheads, primarily between the years 1906-1959. The files, originally a part of the county's bridge files, contain correspondence, petitions, copies of Commissioner resolutions; inspection reports; plans and specifications, cost estimates, shop drawings, field sketches, maps, and plans; and photographs.

Alternative Format

Original negatives exist for many of the photographic prints.

Arrangement

King County originally ordered wharf files by unique wharf numbers; current arrangement somewhat reflects this.

Historical Note

King County's public works agencies have been historically responsible for the siting, construction, inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement of highway bridges, overcrossings, and undercrossings within its jurisdiction. The county maintains a record of these activities for each bridge.

Bridges were assigned one or more identifying numbers by the county. The agency record for each bridge includes bridge number; bridge name if applicable; location (name of street or road, nearest city or town, section-township-range coordinates); and name of watercourse, railroad or highway spanned by the structure.

Arrangement

The photograph files are arranged numerically by the bridge number best representing the bulk of the photographs in a given folder. Within each folder, photographs are arranged in approximate chronological order. Negatives are present for many bridge images (particularly for the period 1910-1936) and are filed separately by bridge number.

A partial visual index has been created for this series, consisting of selected photocopied images. Selection criteria were: (1) all photographs prior to 1950; (2) images, 1950-1988, depicting the human and natural environment of bridge sites; and (3) images, 1950-1988, representative of county work activities at bridge sites.

Added information includes type of photographic materials present, date span of photographs, and limited keywords describing image content.

Additional Materials

Detailed or repetitive images of routine bridge inspections and of construction and repair work were generally excluded from the visual index but may be present in the folders themselves. The index also includes cross-references to many images of bridges found in Series 400: Public Works Project Photograph Files, 1898 - 1989.