My grandma Anna Kelley on Louviers in 1961.

Whenever I think about the Old Town Village of DuPont today, I am reminded of so many things, but especially of my childhood that I shared with the population when it was only 601. I can visualize Barksdale Street in spring lined with the fully blossomed cherry trees and the white antique lamp posts adorned with their hanging baskets of flowing ivy. I think of so many things – time spent frequenting the great outdoors (trails and woods), taking on side jobs to help out the town folk (painting, pulling weeds, mowing lawns, babysitting) and having the chance to earn some money and walking to the Post Office to pick up the mail (only the Post Office was where the old Police station was and now the Fire department uses and at the time we all had keys and an actual mail box). Summers consisted of barbeques at the Park behind the Church and Christmas always included an Advent Ceremony at the Church typically rehearsed and led by the infamous Paula Andre.

An appreciation of DuPont’s history is sure to enrich one’s life. I grew up here and had frequented the museum and found the lemon drops they used to keep hidden in one of the displays. We used to spend hours on the train as we played games of train robbers. I’ve been to the area where the Wading Pool was built in the early 20’s, but wouldn’t have known what it was at the time, and even played in the bunkers pre-Powderworks clean up.

Living here now, I have a different appreciation for the town and the history ingrained in the land and soil, specifically the Mission site, Sequalitchew creek, Old Town and various other historical landmarks. Unfortunately, so much of the land has already been cleared and so much of the other land is so overgrown, sometimes it might feel like a lost cause. I am quickly reminded though that a natural disaster could just as easily ruin our land – that is why I feel it is important for us all to be that changing voice in our community.

My husband, Patrick has always been passionate about the things he does. He has been actively involved in the city while he served as a Reserve Police Officer, even when he lived outside the city limits from 2002-2006. When we moved back to town in 2006, he became more and more interested in the details surrounding the Powderworks Plant and Old Town and especially the land where both the first and second Nisqually Mission Sites are marked. Our research efforts are purely self-led, based solely on instinct and interest we feel this is our best effort and our biggest contribution to save the history.

Here is my lineage to DuPont:

Quick Lineage