The history of Tempo Lake Glade

Tempo Lake is a private lake in East Olympia. It is roughly 32 Acers of surface area and its deepest point is 23 feet.  It is  located about 5.4 miles from Tenino, WA, near Offutt Lake. There is a variety of fish including white perch, arctic grayling, crappie, bream/bluegill and largemouth bass in the lake, but you must be a member or guest of the HOA surrounding the lake to gain access to it.

History: Post, Bushman & Tempo Lake

1894: John Post acquires 160 acres from the Federal Government as a Homestead, including a small lake  referred to as “Post Lake”, surrounded by marshland.
1903: Tax records show that the property had been improved.
1904: Tax records show Mrs. Julia Lee as owner of the property.
1912: Tax records show Harry Deloris Bushman and Evelyn Bushman as owner of the property/160 acres and renamed the lake “Bushman lake”.
1914: Harry and Evelyn Bushman bring Bulls frogs from Louisiana to their Centralia bar as an attraction (M&B Bar) then to the lake. (Information is from Clara Snyder, sister of Evelyn Bushman, who spoke with Mike Contris.) Washington State Department of Game has since taken tadpoles from these frogs to other lakes in the state. The Bushmans also planted many fruit trees on their property, including a variety of cherries, plumbs, apples, and pears.

1914-1924: Fir Tree Lumber Company Railroad is seen on the 1916 Dept. of the Interior Geological Survey map. A branch of the railroad running from the Fir Tree Lumber Company, which was located on the west side of Rainier Road between Fir Tree and Stedman Road to Milwaukee Road. This was the Gregory Mill Spur. This spur ran parallel to Stedman Road on the east side of the road between the lake (Tempo) and Stedman Rd.

1916-1920’s: From the 1916 USGS map until the 1940 Army Tactical map there is a structure on Stedman Rd. between10630 and 10640. It is also the location of the first well in the area. Emmet F. “Tobe” and Clara Snyder lived on the lake between the present properties 10630 and 10640 Stedman Rd. It is assumed the house (no longer standing), which was occupied in the 1920’s by Bushman and Snyder, was the original homestead house initially built by John Post and his wife, Fannie.  

1920: US Census – Harry D. Bushman (Head of Household) and household members: Loiie E. Bushman, wife, Oscar L. Westmoreland, 23, Emmet F. Snyder, 21, and Clara B. Snyder, 22. *Harry Bushman died July 28, 1932.

1961: Tempo Lake Glade Association, HOA had it’s first annual meeting September 16, 1961. “To provide a peaceful  and tranquil setting for residential homesites; to provide for the propagation of fish for fishing, to promote a wildlife sanctuary and to permit any reasonable recreational activity…”  Protective Covenants.

Long-time resident, Ned Richie’s father and other residents dug out what we now know as “Tempo Lake” by putting in the dam at the south of the lake and excavating the marsh with heavy machinery. There is a rumor one of the 4-cylinder machines lost a piston which was rigged to work with only 3 cylinders.  The soil that was excavated was used to fill the area that is now the basket ball and tennis court. The Richie family still lives in the neighborhood.

Whitey Taylor was a long time resident who always helped people around the lake.  He & his wife lived across the street from the north park. When he passed the north park was named after him.  

*There is an inconsistency of dates in the historical documents from 1912 to 1920.