Why Fort Steilacoom Disappeared Between 1868 and 1978
In 1849, the US Army established Fort Steilacoom, the first military fort in Puget Sound. The fort was a base of operations for the Puget Sound Treaty War of 1855-1856. Nisqually Chief Leschi was imprisoned there, even as US Army officers insisted on his innocence. The fort was also an important bastion during the US Civil War. Fort Steilacoom was closed in 1868 and became Western State Hospital, a mental health facility, at the time referred to as an "insane asylum." The original history of the fort was nearly forgotten.
Fort Steilacoom Museum opened in the 1980s in an effort to restore and preserve the historic site. However, more than 40 years later, many people have never heard of Fort Steilacoom. Across the nation, many museums commemorate the US Army while grappling with the challenging history of westward expansion. Historian Walter Neary's in-depth presentation on Fort Steilacoom describes how history gets rewritten and often forgotten and how volunteers today partner with the historic preservation community to share important and evolving stories from our past.
Walter Neary is former president of the Historic Fort Steilacoom Association, from 1998-2002 and 2020-2024. He has portrayed historic characters for the Tacoma Living History Cemetery Tour and Fort Nisqually's Candlelight Tour, as well as at Fort Steilacoom. His character reenactments include pioneer newspaper editors Charles Prosch, Herbert Hunt, and Dr. David "Doc" Maynard. Walter has a background as a journalist, newspaper editor, and historic preservation board member, among other careers.