5th Avenue Dam Construction – 12/21/14

Merle Junk photograph, December 1949, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives

This photograph from December 1949 shows Capitol Lake under construction. In the foreground is the 4^th Avenue Bridge, while the beginnings of the 5^th Avenue Bridge and dam construction can be seen behind it. The terraced area to its right is what remained of the Percival Mansion grounds, a long-time fixture in Olympia. It succumbed to construction of the Deschutes Parkway, Capitol Lake, and the 5^th Avenue bridge. Photograph selected by Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum. For additional information, visit Olympiahistory.org.