Mr. and Mrs. Thompson in front of their home on Titan Drive.
The community of Tanglewilde was developed in the late 50’s and early 60’s by Alvin and Evelyn Thompson. Al had seen the name on a new development while traveling in Texas and it had seemed appropriate for the new neighborhood he had planned on the beautiful wooded acreage in rural ThurstonCounty. His plans included spacious wooded lots, wide paved streets, a 5.2 acre park with a beautiful swimming pool, a neighborhood shopping center and a donated site for an elementary school, which is now Lydia Jane Hawk. He also set aside a parcel for a church for the community which is now St. Andrews Methodist.
Tanglewilde was quite unique at the time. It was even featured in the NAHB (National Association of Homebuilders) magazine. Three of the features distinct made Tanglewilde unique: First, the beautiful swimming pool and 5.2 acre wooded park which Al and Evelyn donated to the community. Secondly, the streets in Tanglewilde were named after sports teams in Washington (Husky, Cougar, Wildcat, Bobcat, Choker, etc.). Al and Evelyn had large attractive metal signs created for each street corner with a painted picture that matched that streets name at the top, Vikings for Viking St., Bulldogs for Bulldog St., and so on. Third, each homebuyer in Tanglewilde was welcome to board a horse or two in the 60 acres of fenced pasture free of charge. At one time, there were more than twenty five horses and ponies, a thriving 4-H club and a lot of happy kids who could ride their horses all morning and swim all afternoon, right in their own neighborhood. It was common to hear the clip-clop of hooves on Husky Way.
The street signs are now gone…victims of their own popularity (they were missing quite often). The pastureland has all been developed and there is no longer room for horses and ponies. The county came in and changed many street names. (4th Ave was Bear Way, 5th Way was Chieftain Way, 5th St. was Pirate Way, 6th Ave SE was Savage Way, and there were others). Sadly, the days of spacious wooded lots in developed neighborhoods seem to be dwindling. In some of today’s newer developments you can barely fit two cars in the driveway, but you can nearly touch your neighbor’s house from your deck! The luxury of land to enjoy a nice yard, a garden, and some privacy seems to be at a premium.
Tanglewilde continues to be a great planned community with reminders of a wonderful era of families fulfilling the American Dream of home ownership. Fortunately today the Tanglewilde park and swimming pool still thrive and are maintained by community minded residents. Through several generations, hundreds of children have learned to swim at the Tanglewilde Pool. TanglewildePark frequently hosts lively summer barbecues and birthday parties. The community spirit that was once a dream of Al and Evelyn Thompson is kept alive through the hard work and dedication of Tanglewilde neighbors who volunteer their personal time and efforts to help keep this neighborhood a great place to live.
Written by Sandra Helton
Daughter of Al and Evelyn Thompson