Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-10-08
PRIEST POINT PARK
FOUNDER PASSES away
Elias Payn, Pioneer and Publ.
spirited Citizen Goo, to His
Long Home

Elias J. Payn, one OF the pioneers
of Olympia, and founder of Priest
Point park, died at his home On
Fourth and Oak streets Wednesday
evening after an illness dating from
October 10. six years ago, when he
was stricken with paralysis. He
took to his bed only week ago Mon
day
Mr.. Payn was born on the Isle OF
Jersey. in the English channel, June
PA, 1870. and had been a resident of
this city for the past 90 years.
Funeral arrangements are to be
announced later.
To the public spirit vision, ener
gy and persistency of Elias ]. Payn
is due the credit for the fact that the
city of Olympia possesses and enjoys
one of the finest public parks Of the
Pacific coast, for, while valuable aid
was eventually received from various
citizens to achieve final success, 1t
was Mr.. Payn who first conceived the
idea of acquiring Priest Point lands
and carried on for two years what at
first appeared a hopeless fight to ac-
Quire them for park purposes.
Among the memoranda which ne
kept, the following account Of his
labors and that of a small committee
of other patriotic citizens has been
selected:
by our observations We had real
lied that city is known by its sur
roundings and chief of them, Ger
public parks.
I'VE had looked over the city for
such an opening. when our attention
was drawn to Priest Point by the late
Mr.. T. L. Brown, who saw there the
possibilities for public park. On
Wednesday. August IL, 1908, we
drew the attention of the city to the
necessity Of a park in the Olympia
Record Of that dete, and at the first
meeting of the Chamber Of ComI
merce we proposed that a committee
be appointed to secure the same.
1T looked to the chamber as an
topian dream. The chamber placed
in our hands-the dream-with our
choice OF members to act with us.
After some persuasion Mr.. T. l..
Brown agreed and Mr.. Charles S.
Eaton, provided we took upon our
selves to see 1t through.
"Soon after We met Mr.. Drum, the
secretary of the Priest Point Land
company, who assured us that the
company was intact, and We would
have to find 1900 shares that were
spread from Olympia to japan and
London.
"For ~ months We chased its
holders for their stock for the pur-
pose of using the property for pub
lie park. When Mr.. Drum notified
us that all but rs shares we're secured
and we could go ahead with the city
and county"
The account continues with the
story Of aid received from the CITY
council through Mayor Richardson
and a committee headed by DR.. Ing
ham. and from other citizens. but an
obstacle was met with in the attitude
Iof the county commissioners, the
county having acquired possession
through tax foreclosure, that took
months Of hard work OF overcome,
even to the extent of going into the
federal courts to enjoin the county
from selling the property to private
interests.
In ambition to this, prodinent and
influential citizens were trying to get
hold of the p roperty from the county
at low figure, for speculative phc-
poses, which made Mr.. Payn's fight
all the harder.
After two years of hard work, on
idly IA, 1905, the committee, heed
ed by Mr.. Payn, was able to make
its final report to the Chamber of
Commerce and received the hand,
some compliment of a standing vote
Of thanks for having secdred Priest
Point with its 253 acres of upland
and 142 acres of adjoining tide land
for city park at cost of $1,000
The vision of Mr.. Payn and his
co-workers saw Priest Point park as
the playground and beauty spot not
only of Olympia and Thurston count
but for the mhole Puget Sound coun-
TRY, mad annually thousands Of tour
lists from all parts Of the country give
rraise to the park as one Of the most
beautiful and best equipped tourist
lcamping spots in all their travels
Another scheme Of Mr.. Pavns was
the construction of Puget SQUAD
Grays HarborWillapa Harhor-Col-
Iumbia River shin canal or inland