Riverwalk Tours At Tumwater’s Falls Park Begin July 16

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Submitted by The Olympia Tumwater Foundation

Photo credit: Diane Waiste
Photo credit: Diane Waiste

Led by local historians, the free Riverwalk tours lead you along the historic heart of old Tumwater, along the beautiful Deschutes River with its falls, foot bridges and salmon fish ladders.  Along the way you’ll learn first-hand about the rich history of the first permanent American community in what is now the State of Washington, Tumwater.

You’ll hear about the native tribes, the first settlers attracted by the water power of the river to run industry, and the artesian water that attracted a business that made Tumwater and Olympia famous, the Olympia Brewing Company and the Schmidt family.

You’ll hear stories about the growth through the years, from the special railway running through Tumwater that connected Olympia to the Northern Pacific Railroad and about the arrival of the automobile and the major highway that ran through the town, later to be replaced by I-5.

The tours take less than an hour and begin by the park office near the upper falls on Thursday mornings at 10:30 (July 16 – September 3).  This year we are adding some special tours led by Don Trosper.  These include five tours on a Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. (July 14, 28, August 18, September 1, and one on August 25 led by Terra Hegy) and three on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. (July 19, August 9 and September 6).  The tours are limited to 30 people.

For more details visit the foundation website.  Our thanks to the City of Tumwater for their help in bringing these popular tours to both residents and tourists.

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