In 1962, Jack Brown, Harold LeMay and Jack Black incorporated a  community in Spanaway called Shady Acres. It was

a new concept, a private residential airport; people could live and fly from their own homes. The runway can be seen between 42nd and 46th Avenues on 208th Street. The area is now on the borders of Spanaway, Frederickson and the Graham Community Plan areas.

On September 1, residents and former residents, including children who grew up at the airport, gathered and reminisced about their time living along the runway.

Jack Brown, who was working on the local newspaper, The Times Journal and The Western Flyer, published articles about the residential development. Int he photo,  you can see the newly finished runway bisected by an old pioneer road that ran from Elk Plain to Salcich Junction and over to Clover Creek’s Camp Montgomery.

The weather was beautiful for a picnic and for flying in, which several former residents did. SOme even could not resist “buzzing the strip.” Others, in their usual fashion grumbled, don’t get the neighbors upset, a reference to keeping the neighbors to the runway happy living nearby. Rick Komko, former owner of the Silver Dollar, brought his old popcorn vending vehicle and Rick and Bobby Wicklander supplied the space to gather along with hamburgers and hotdogs. They and resident Judy Scott organized the event.

Congratualtions on your 50th Anniversary Shady Acres!