Object Record
Images
Additional Images [2]
Metadata
Object Name |
Plaque |
Collection |
Metro Parks Tacoma - Permanent Collection |
Date |
1960 |
Description |
Before Owen Beach got its name in 1959, the popular Point Defiance Park destination was simply called the "new beach" or "picnic beach." It was officially named upon the retirement of Park Superintendent Floyd E. Owen, dedicated with a plaque the following spring. The plaque reads: "Floyd E. Owen Beach - Commemorated in honor of Floyd E. Owen Superintendent of Parks, in recognition of 47 years of dedicated service to the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma 1912 - 1959". As of 2016, Floyd Owen still holds the record for longest-serving Metro Parks Tacoma employee. A native of North Carolina, Owen moved to the Seattle area in 1909 and three years later found himself in Tacoma, working as a teamster for the Metropolitan Park District. He subsequently became a foreman, and was given ever increasing levels of responsibility over the next thirty years. In 1945, he was put in charge of Point Defiance, Titlow Beach, and Dash Point parks, but it wasn't until 1949 that he had the title "Acting Superintendent". With the title came responsibility for parks throughout Tacoma. The "acting" part was removed in 1954, and for the last five years of his career, Superintendent Owen managed Tacoma's parks with a steady hand. Retiring at age 69 in 1959, Floyd and his wife Agnes continued to live in the Superintendent's Lodge - now the Visitors Center -- at Point Defiance Park through 1970, as part of a consulting agreement with the Park District. His loyalty and high quality of work led to the naming of Owen Beach in his honor: a testament to his dedication to the park district and the people of Tacoma. |
Location |
Point Defiance Park |
Object Number |
PDP-024 |
Web link |
Metro Parks Tacoma, Point Defiance Marina |