1960 US Census records Redmond population as 1,426
A recession in fur industry closes most Redmond mink ranches (Way 120)
1961 Redmond’s population exceeds 1,500 with a count of 1,539, and makes the city eligible for 3rd class status which is approved by a vote of residents 107 to 8. The change in status allows the city to expand its boundaries to areas--south, east, and north--that are demanding annexation (Hardy Timeline II 3)
4/21 Seattle World’s Fair, the “Century 21 Exposition” opens
5/21 A city-wide project to prepare for world’s fair visitors is undertaken. Called “Scrub the Hub”, a nickname derived from the convergence of seven roads in Redmond, residents paint, prune, and haul trash to clean-up the town. Since the initial turn-out was small, two more “Scrub the Hub” days are held on July 29 and August 12. These clean-ups had better organization and publicity, and included painting the downtown buildings with colors chosen by a color consultant from San Francisco. Approximately 200 people took part in the two extra clean-ups, and the Nokomis Club served meals to the participants (Nokomis Archives)
United Control, avionics manufacturer and forerunner of Sundstrand Data Control, then Allied Signal, relocates to Overlake Industrial Park in Redmond (Way 163)
1962 The 718 acres of Overlake Park is annexed to Redmond (Way 154)
Robert Sollito becomes police chief, and retains position until 1982 (Way 154)
King County voters approve a bond issue to purchase Marymoor to ensure the property is retained as a park (Way 75)
10/21 Seattle World’s Fair, “Century 21 Exposition”, closes (Hardy Timeline II 4)
The American Legion Post 161 meets for the first time in its unfinished new hall (Hardy Timeline II 4)
1963 The US Army Corps of Engineers dredges and straightens the Sammamish River to prevent flooding. The project shortens the river from 30 miles long to 14 miles long, and is completed in 1964 (Hardy 36)
8/ Evergreen Point Floating Bridge opens, and extends SR 520 to 148th Ave NE (Hardy Timeline II 4)
Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Mt. Everest, receives a ticker tape parade and is mayor for a day when he returns to Redmond from Nepal (Hardy Timeline II 4)
11/ The landmark Lampaert barn burns down (Hardy Timeline II 4)
1964 3-10 Incorporation of East Redmond is dissolved by the ruling of Superior Court Judge James W. Hudson (Way 153)
5/ Library relocates to a storefront at 16425 NE 80th Street, the 2011 site of Napa Auto Parts (Nokomis Archive)
The first baseball games are played at the completed Hartman Park (Hardy Timeline II 4)
9/ Redmond High School atop Education Hill on NE 104th Street open (SVN)
NE 124th Street, previously the Theno cow path between the hillside barn and lowland grazing, is paved across the Sammamish Valley (Hardy Timeline II 4)
The 1,060 acre Viewpoint annexation takes place as voters approve the move by a 2 to 1 margin (Way 154)
Near the Clise Mansion in Marymoor Park, a prehistoric Indian site is discovered that is explored by a team of University of Washington archeologists until 1970. Uncovered is a 5,000-year-old fishing camp used by members of the Sammamish band of the Duwamish Indians, who had several permanent camps along both Lake Sammamish and the Sammamish River. The site is listed in the State and National Register of Historical Place as Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site (Hardy Timeline II 4) 1965 1/21
Dedication of Redmond High School is held with a ceremony attended by 1,000 (Hardy Timeline II 5)
Marymoor Museum is founded, and their first artifact is an ox shoe (Hardy Timeline II 5)
1966 Barry’s Market opens
The first traffic light at the intersection of Leary Way and Redmond Way is turned on (Hardy Timeline II 5)
Pedro Anderson and Boyd Kenny request that girls be permitted to play in Redmond Little League (Hardy Timeline II 5)
1/ Annexation of Bear Creek is approved by 181 voters (Hardy Timeline II 5)
1/6 Postmaster RE Olney resigns, and Robert Plumb take his place (Hardy Timeline II 5)
6/3 Redmond High School graduates 170 in the first graduation in 22 years (SVN)
Bulldozers raze Happy Valley Farms and Pan Alaska crab plant (Hardy Timeline II 5)
9/8 Rocket Research, purchased by Olin Defense Systems in 1985, buys York property, and expects to employ 200-400 on site in about 1½ years (SVN)
10/27 Marine battalions train on the east bank of Lake Sammamish (SVN)
12/ Redmond resident Patrick B Cairns drowns in Lake Sammamish (Hardy Timeline II 5)
Morsett hunting knives are manufactured in Redmond (SVN)
1967 The first lights for night play are installed at Hartman Park (Hardy Timeline II 5)
1/8 Cascade Vista Convalescent Center opens on Willows Road, and is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Barnes (Hardy Timeline II 5)
1968 Parks and Recreation Department is formed with John Couch, Director, who is the city’s second park director (Hardy Timeline II 5)
1/21 Marymoor Museum, housed in the old Clise Mansion, opens in Marymoor Park (Hardy Timeline II 5)
Selwyn L “Bud” Young is elected mayor (Hardy Timeline II 5)
2/ At Earlmont on Willows Road the four partners and owners of Aries Gardens—Louis Gabarino, John Cerqui, Harry Aries, and Harold Aries—ended their long heritage of farming with the sale of the truck farm property and an auction of the farm machinery (Hardy Timeline II 6)
2/26 The City Council refuses to let Planning Director Jonathon Hartman retire. According to the City Employees Retirement System an employee must retire at age 65, unless the City takes action to retain the employee, which it does in this case (Hardy Timeline II 6)
6/22 Radical Minutemen members are convicted of conspiring to rob banks by setting off bombs as a diversion in Redmond (Hardy Timeline II 6)
1969 King County purchases Gateway Grove, and its neighboring resort, Idylwood Beach
City well #3 is drilled in southwest Redmond off Redmond Way (Hardy Timeline II 6)
10/ The City Council authorizes a full-time fire department, and allocates $94,000 in funds for a chief and four firefighters to be staffed in 1970 (Hardy Timeline II 6)
Morelli’s close their chicken farm on 148th Ave NE (Way 118)
1970 US census shows population is 11,031
City of Redmond establishes a Library Board of Trustees consisting of five members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by a City Council majority (Hardy Timeline II 6)
The new two-story City Hall with the only elevator in town is dedicated on NE 85th Street. A third story is added in 1977 (Hardy Timeline II 6)
T & D Feeds, owned by Lowell DeYoung, opens for business at 16355 Cleveland Street in the same location recently vacated by Western Farmers Association and the Nordquist feed and milling plant that originally opened in 1914 (Way 119)
12/15 The City Council holds its first meeting in the new council chambers (Hardy Timeline II 6)
12/31 Doors and windows of the Redmond train depot are boarded up (Hardy Timeline II 6)
2/11 GROW II is activated, and Dr. Jeffrey Forrey and John Cogan co-chair the group to guide development (SVN)
1970s: Art students at Redmond Junior High School paint a large mural of local scenes in the entryway of the Cinemond Theater (Hardy Timeline II 7)
Raffles become illegal in the State of Washington which severely impacts organizations in the community and reduces income from the Bike Derby (Way 128) 4/26
The first planned development in the city opens at 6001 NE 140th Street (SVN)
Redmond History: 1961-1970
Updated: Aug 4, 2020
