Des Moines Way and the Memorial Elm Route
Photograph description
The photograph shows the early brick-paved roadway bordered by a rural landscape before later urban development.
- Date or period
- Road construction began in 1916; memorial elm planting began November 11, 1921.
- Place
- Des Moines Way / present-day Des Moines Memorial Drive, between Des Moines and Seattle
- People
- Seattle Garden Club members and American Legion participants were involved in the memorial plantings.
Historical context
The brick highway became an important automobile route between Des Moines and Seattle. HistoryLink records the first memorial elms planted on Armistice Day, November 11, 1921, beginning the living memorial later known as Des Moines Memorial Drive.
Research references
Historical identifications are stated only where supported by the existing DMHS collection or corroborating research. Unresolved dates, names, and locations are identified as such rather than inferred from appearance alone.