Des Moines History Timeline 1940s

Des Moines School Student Body About 1915

The Daring - One of the 'Mosquito Fleet' serving Des Moines

Des Moines History Timeline 1940s

1700-1849 | 1850-1869 | 1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020

1940

October - The WPA-funded Des Moines Field House was completed and dedicated as a community recreation center and playfield facility. Constructed in the rustic log-cabin style, it was one of five King County field houses built during the Great Depression and later served as the community's public library from 1946-1961.

1945

April 29 — A magnitude 5.5–5.7 earthquake centered near North Bend shook King County and much of Western Washington at 12:16 p.m. local time. The earthquake damaged chimneys, cracked plaster and masonry, broke windows, and triggered a rockslide on Mount Si. A strong aftershock of about magnitude 5.0 followed the next day.
October - The WPA-funded Des Moines Field House was completed and dedicated as a community recreation center and playfield facility. Constructed in the rustic log-cabin style, it was one of five King County field houses built during the Great Depression and later served as the community's public library from 1946-1961.

1946

Glenn and Margaret St. Charles opened Northwest Archery in Normandy Park. The business became one of the nation's best-known traditional archery suppliers and is often cited as the first business established in Normandy Park after development resumed following the Great Depression. It closed in Spring 2004. Glenn St. Charles sold the property. The business relocated to South Prairie and continued operations under family ownership.
February 14 — At 7:18 p.m. local time a magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered near Olympia shook Des Moines and the Puget Sound region. Damage in King County included cracked plaster, broken windows, and minor chimney failures, with most reported losses occurring in Seattle.
A branch of the King COunty Rural Librasry System opened in the Des Moines Fieldhouse.

1947

March - First Kindergarten opened in Des Moines with Rilda Moses as teacher.
March - The Des Moines Theater opened on Marine View Drive. Built by Delbert and Wally Osterhoudt, the 400-seat theater was the first motion picture theater in Des Moines and became a prominent downtown landmark.
November 30 - At approximately 2:25 p.m., a Douglas C-54A Skymaster (civilian DC-4, registration NC91009) operated by Alaska Airlines with 26 passengers and three crew members crashes while landing at Sea-Tac Aiport, killing 9 including one person in the automobile and injuring 17. The crew first attempted to land at Boeing Field but abandoned the approach because visibility was inadequate. They then diverted to Sea-Tac Airport, which at the time was still under development and would not be formally dedicated as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport until 1949. While approaching Sea-Tac from the northeast, the aircraft came in too high and too fast. The pilot did not touch down until approximately halfway down the runway—about 2,748 feet beyond the threshold. On the wet runway there was insufficient distance remaining to stop the aircraft. The airliner ran off the end of the runway colliding with an automobile on Des Moines Way (now Des Moines Memorial Drive).

1949

Glenn and Margaret St. Charles opened Northwest Archery in Normandy Park. The business became one of the nation's best-known traditional archery suppliers and is often cited as the first business established in Normandy Park after development resumed following the Great Depression. It closed in Spring 2004. Glenn St. Charles sold the property. The business relocated to South Prairie and continued operations under family ownership.
April 13 — At 11:55 a.m. local time, the magnitude 6.7–7.1 Olympia Earthquake struck Western Washington. Strong shaking was felt throughout Des Moines and King County. More than 10,000 chimneys were damaged, dozens of schools were closed, eight people died, and property losses exceeded $25 million, making it one of the most destructive earthquakes in Washington history. Des Moines escaped the catastrophic structural damage seen in parts of Seattle and Olympia.
July 9 — Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, whose original nake was Bow Lake Airport, was formally dedicated. Governor Arthur B. Langlie presided over ceremonies attended by approximately 30,000 people celebrating the opening of the airport's new passenger terminal and its role as the Puget Sound region's primary commercial airport.
The first section of Wesley Gardens was completed when the community's first cottage, built for Rev. Dr. Stanley Logan and his wife, was finished. The cottage marked the beginning of the Methodist-sponsored retirement community that would later grow into one of the largest senior living campuses in South King County.