olympia harbor days Logo History Exhibit
Olympia Maritime & Tugboat Heritage walk
SPONSORED BY South Sound maritime Heritage Association and THE SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE AND MUSEUM
Take the walk anytime as the waterfront is open 24/7/365!
Enjoy the Olympia Harbor Days maritime heritage theme and working waterfront story 365 days a year! Learn from informational panels and kiosks from Tug Sand Man at Percival Landing to the Port Plaza or use our virtual tour below. The walk can be done either way.
Squaxin Island Tribe – the people of the water.
Learn more about the history of Olympia, Washington.
See the Squaxin Island Historical Timeline by clicking here.
Learn more - March 2019 Issue of the Thurston County Chamber’s VOICE Magazine.
Learn more - History of Percival Landing.
[1] Tugboat Sand Man: Built in Tacoma in 1910, Sand Man was a working tug in Olympia for decades, towing barges of sand, gravel, and construction equipment. She is featured in the logo illustration for the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association. She was the first logo tug for Olympia Harbor Days in 1983 and was a regular race participant for many years, winning her heat in 2019. Due to sustained damage, she is no longer at the docks at Percival Landing and is planned to be a landside attraction in Olympia in the future.
[2] Delta V. Smyth Tug & Barge Display Kiosk: This display, adjacent to the Olympia Oyster House which was the home of the original Olympia Oyster Company and whose wharf is now home to the Olympia Yacht Club, features photos and information about one of the proud historic tug companies that served Olympia for more than 30 years. Both tugboats, Sand Man and Parthia, were part of the Smyth fleet. The Smyth Family continues to support the tugboat races every year.
Learn more - Olympia Oyster House.
Learn more - ThurstonTalk article.
[3] Tugboat Docks and Overlooks: During Olympia Harbor Days events, both sides of the Percival Landing basin are lined with tugboats from throughout Puget Sound for a welcome-aboard show prior to the World’s Largest Vintage Tugboat Races out in Budd Inlet. The Historic Mosquito Fleet also ferried passengers and delivered mail to the wharfs. Most years you will find Virginia V, one of the 3 ships remaining from the fleet, offering tours and tugboat race viewing.
Learn more - Mosquito Fleet.
Learn more - Virginia V.
[4] Harbor House and Olympia Maritime History Display Panels: The north and east exterior sides of Harbor House feature photo display panels describing other features of the city’s waterfront past, including Percival’s Dock, shipping, steamships, and early exploration.
[5] George Vancouver and Peter Puget Commemorative Plaque: This plaque recognizes the 1792 Puget Sound explorations that confirmed the mouth of the Deschutes River was not the entrance to the fabled Northwest Passage.
Learn more - George Vancouver.
Learn more - Peter Puget.
[6] Olympia Merchant Marine Reserve Fleet Anchor and Display Panel: Artifacts and display panel tell the story of the Reserve Fleet anchored in Budd Inlet after World War II, from 1945…
Read more - HistoryLink.org.
Read more - ThurstonTalk article.
[7] Brusco Tug and Barge Tugs Two modern day tugboats are stationed at the Port of Olympia to assist ships arriving at and departing from the Port’s Marine Terminal. You may even catch a glimpse of a freighter at the wharf.
Learn more - BruscoTug.com.
[8] Tugboat Parthia: Future exhibit site for the 115-year-old Olympia tugboat Parthia, Just east of the Olympia Framers Market. The installation when completed, will link the Percival Landing boardwalk and interpretive signage with the historic tug Sand Man (#1) as part of the “Tugboat Heritage Walk’ attraction of the new Maritime Washington National Heritage Area.
Learn More:
The Parthia Project
Maritime Washington – National Heritage Area
COMING SOON. . .OLYMPIA TUGBOAT HERITAGE WALK
SPONSORED BY SOUTH SOUND MARITIME HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
Sand Man Story By Shanna Paxton Photography
“Event photography is something I am very passionate about! I love photographing all those moments, its like photographing 6 weddings happening in the same space at once. That’s what it feels like to photograph the fantastic event Olympia Harbor Days. A 3 day event happening on Labor Day Weekend every year.”
Discover the OlyMinute Interview with Chuck Fowler about restoration of the Parthia Tug Boat - just click play!
Tug Parthia Restoration (1 minute 20 seconds) on HarborDays.com
Click here to read more.
Doug Eklund - Sand Man Tug (33 minutes 48 seconds)
Chuck Fowler - Parthia Tug (23 minutes 23 seconds)
Just sending good wishes for a terrific Harbor Days virtual experience!! Loved seeing it featured on cover of Olympian’s Weekend insert. You’ve planned a dynamic virtual experience for families and fans. I hope it’s great success – personally I’m going to be doing some shopping! Also – it’s great that you’ve extended Harbor Days for the entire month! Hopefully this year’s virtual event will be a bridge to an even better – bigger Harbor Days in 2021! Kudos – You Rock! 😎. Kendra D., 2020.