Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
Legendary Yelm resident Fay Fuller’s legacy continues to grow, even after nearly 70 years since her death, as the city’s new activated alleyway, “Fuller Footpath,” is set to open later this year.
Fuller, a former teacher in Yelm, was the first woman known to summit Mount Rainier. Her inspiration to climb Mount Rainier dawned when P.B. Van Trump, one of the first documented people to summit Mount Rainier, visited her classroom.
Then, on Aug. 10, 1890, Fuller, climbing in adverse conditions, made her trek over Mount Rainier. According to the National Parks Service, Fuller set out from Camp Muir, reaching the summit at 4:30 p.m. She described the experience as “a heavenly moment, nothing was said. Words cannot describe scenery and beauty; how could they speak to the soul?”
Sixty-seven years after her death in 1958, Fuller’s legacy continues in Yelm as the activated alleyway, dubbed “Fuller Footpath,” will be constructed. It is expected to open by the winter season.
Cody Colt, Yelm’s public works director, told the Nisqually Valley News that the city has officially fully acquired and negotiated right-of-way with nearby businesses South Puget Sound Habitat For Humanity, Pho Yelm, Fair Game and Salon Nouveau. Construction is expected to start in the coming months, Colt said.
“The city now controls the area where the alleyway will go. That was always the biggest holdup, just making sure we’re fairly compensating the people we’re taking property from. In this case, they agreed to give it. We didn’t have to take anything, which was nice,” Colt said. “It should be finished in the winter, so we might be able to have a winter market there. We’re hoping for Halloween, but that’s a pretty aggressive timeline. It will also be open for the farmers market next summer, too, which will be a lot of fun.”
He added that the project plans are complete and that the City of Yelm is currently working with Puget Sound Energy to move power poles and other electrical equipment underground.
“We named it the Fuller Footpath after Fay Fuller, and it just sounds cool, too,” Colt said. “It’ll be an active spot where there will be food trucks; businesses can have seating outside. During the summer, we expect a lot of markets and events to bleed into this, too. The BBQ Rally will have its entire event, and this will have the farmers market that can lead to the BBQ Rally. It will expand and make all of those events a little bigger and better.
“Since we decided to name it the Fuller Footpath after Fay Fuller, there’s going to be some historical stuff like plaques, signs and pictures that’ll teach you a little about Fay Fuller and what she meant to the city,” he continued. “Not only can you get some food or enjoy an event, you can learn a little bit about Fay Fuller and Yelm itself.”
He added that strong lighting will be installed through the activated alleyway, and he imagines that businesses will take advantage of that during the evening hours. General traffic through “Fuller Footpath” will not be advised; however, Colt said those mentioned businesses will still be able to receive deliveries.
“When there are larger events, we’ll put up extra barriers and barricades to prevent cars from driving through there, too,” Colt said.
The total cost for the “Fuller Footpath” project is roughly $1 million, and Colt said the city has acquired a $50,000 grant for the activated alleyway itself. The price tag, Colt said, is because other work is being done in addition to the construction of the alleyway, such as maintenance to a water main from the 1970s.
“We’re going to underground all of the power utilities, which costs a lot. We’re going to add electricity through there so there’s power poles that food trucks can plug into, and lighting. It’s about a million for the entire project, but we’re adding a number of things,” Colt said. “We’re trying to get as much done as we can at once.”
With the addition of more power utilities and plug-ins for food trucks, Colt said “Fuller Footpath” could also operate similarly to Lacey’s Food Truck Depot.
“This is one of the things when Line (Roy) and I were talking about this dream of ours to do something like this; this area would be able to do something like that,” Colt said. “You’d be able to put multiple food trucks in there, maybe six or seven, and then you could have a food truck hub where there’s an assortment of all the different food types.”
