History
Flaming Geyser was operated privately from the 1920s until the 1960s when the park fell into bankruptcy. When the land risked takeover by home development, Washington State Parks purchased the land and has managed it since. Urban legend of the park's history describes how miner Eugene Lawson aimed to profit from the ignited methane emission. While Lawson is a real historical figure who owned the Lawson Mine between 1895 and 1898 prior to two fatal explosions in 1902 and 1910, there is little record of involvement with Flaming Geyser.
In March 2009, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Department announced that due to a serious financial shortfall, they were considering closing and "mothballing" a number of state parks. As of January 2011, closure is still a possibility despite the legislature's recent investment in repair to the park's electrical infrastructure. Officials cite little success from volunteer donations on license renewal fees.
Read more about this topic: Flaming Geyser State Park
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“Regarding History as the slaughter-bench at which the happiness of peoples, the wisdom of States, and the virtue of individuals have been victimized—the question involuntarily arises—to what principle, to what final aim these enormous sacrifices have been offered.”
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“the future is simply nothing at all. Nothing has happened to the present by becoming past except that fresh slices of existence have been added to the total history of the world. The past is thus as real as the present.”
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