Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Plaque |
Other Name |
Engraved stone |
Collection |
Metro Parks Tacoma - Permanent Collection |
Date |
1980 |
Description |
Adjacent to the Rose Garden entrance nearest the pond is a stone marker dedicating a nearby rose bed to Bing Crosby. The plaque reads: "The Bing Crosby Rose Bed These Roses, An All American Selection For 1981 Are Dedicated To Bing Crosby, Tacoma's All American Entertainer, June 29, 1980 By The Tacoma Rose Society Bing Crosby Historical Society Metropolitan Park District" Bing Crosby (1903 - 1977) was an award winning singer and actor, coming to prominence during Hollywood's "golden years" of the 1930s and '40s. Born Harry Lillis Crosby Jr. at a house on J Street near St. Patrick's Church, the family moved to Spokane when Bing was three years old. He left for Los Angeles and show business in 1925, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Bing Crosby Historical Society was formed in 1977, soon after Crosby's death. Led by Kenneth Twiss, Society President, the non-profit organized an annual Tribute to Bing Crosby event, nominated his birthplace to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, and advocated for a commemorative postage stamp. They created a Bing Crosby traveling exhibit that featured extensive memorabilia such as letters, sheet music, and 78 LP records, and sought to create a permanent museum for the singer in Tacoma. In 1993 the Bing Crosby Historical Society voted to fold. They donated their collection of historic material to Gonzaga University, where a permanent exhibit of Bing Crosby artifacts is on display to this day. At the Society's behest, a rose bed in Point Defiance Park was planted with "Bing Crosby" roses (a "hybrid tea rose" variety) to honor the man in his hometown. A nearby memorial bench was added to recognize Ken Twiss's irreplaceable contributions to the work of preserving Bing Crosby's Tacoma legacy. |
Location |
Point Defiance Park |
Object Number |
PDP-015 |
Web link |
Metro Parks Tacoma, Point Defiance Park |