The Smyth family has deep roots in the history of West Bay Drive, and especially the site now known as SMYTH LANDING. It began over 100 years and 4 generations ago with Edward James Smyth when Olympia’s waterfront was a working waterfront, and Mr. Smyth operated a boat building business. His son Delta V. Smyth moved from building boats to operating a small fleet of tugs to serve the ever-growing timber industry. Working tugs with names like Sandman and Parthia, which now hold their place in Olympia’s maritime history.
The waterfront of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s was a source of commerce. Timber was the future, and Delta Smyth embraced the future building a small sawmill on what is now the present day site of Smyth Landing. After WWII the third Smyth generation joined the connection to the waterfront when Delta’s son Wayne came to work for the family business and grew the mill from a small cant mill to a full-scale sawmill, known as Delson Lumber. It was a mill that supported many Olympia families with good paying jobs, and shipped northwest lumber all across the country.Over time Olympia grew, new environmental and economic concerns arose, and again history worked to change the makeup of the waterfront as new neighborhoods surrounded the industrial areas along west bay drive. In the early 1990’s the mill closed for good and the property sat vacant. The weeds began to take over the few remaining buildings, and a majority of West Bay Drive became a worn out industrial graveyard.
As with the three generations before her, Wayne’s daughter Sarah has strong ties to Olympia’s waterfront and a vision for the future of West Bay. She sees Smyth Landing as the project that will bring a new and different life to Olympia’s West Bay. She views the future as a positive balance between the environment, commercial ventures, the public and our rich waterfront history. Since 1997 she has been working with the city of Olympia, architects, neighborhood associations, and others to develop a master plan to breathe life back into West Bay Drive. The hopes are to bring a water front park, walking trails, and new buildings to the area. She wants to see a balance between preserving the waterfront while allowing for responsible development.
