In the 1960s, the United States experienced a vast social revolution. Two of the most controversial aspects of that revolution were the increasing popularity among the nation’s youth of a rising drug culture and rejection of certain traditional moral values.

“Hippies” was the word coined to describe a segment of these youth. The archives of the Federal Way News housed at the Historical Society of Federal Way provide clues into how some Federal Way residents reacted to this cultural change.

In a June 1969 front page story, Federal Way News reporter Vicki MaCauley reported rising concern about drug use, robberies by groups of youth and physical assault by teenagers against younger children at Steel Lake Park.

She reported the views of two King County narcotics detectives who believed the park was “a perfect gathering spot for hippy types” and “hardcore drug abusers.” In MaCauley’s coverage, it appeared that hippies were associated not just with the new drug culture but more traditional types of teenage delinquent behavior, such as physical bullying of peers and theft. MaCauley reported the opinion of the Steel Lake Park caretaker that “it always seems like it’s the long haired teenager” that committed most of the crime at the park.

In the same issue it published MaCauley’s report, the Federal Way News also published a letter from Federal Way resident Joan Newcomer. Newcomer, a mother of young children who patronized Steel Lake Park for swimming activities, reported on the experiences she and her children had at the park the previous summer (1968). She and her children had encountered “sloppily and barely dressed ill-mannered” youth.

Her children had observed “teenagers lying around on blankets, ‘kissing and hugging,’ as the youngsters put it.” Another experience involved her children running home frightened after they arrived at the park in the early morning for swimming activities but ended up inadvertently “disturbing the hippies sleeping under the trees.”

From the hippies, her kids had picked up slang words, which she implied were of an uncouth nature; the only example she gave was “fuzzie,” for police officer. She ended her letter by declaring that Federal Way was “fast becoming” a lawless place; she implied that part of the problem was that local law enforcement spent more time “parked in front of the local eating establishments” than patrolling the community.

Several other letters to the editor were also concerned about what Newcomer called “unwholesome teenagers” and “pseudo hipsters” at Steel Lake Park. Mrs. O.D. Way, in a tone suggesting humor but also serious purpose, called on Federal Way mothers to “arise” and “descend by the hundreds, no thousands” to attack the hippies at the park. In their attack, the mothers would use hair clippers, scrub brushes and other tools of hygiene with which to transform the hippies into more seemly people. The mothers should do this because “the authorities fear offending these lawbreakers; a mother’s heart is more stout.”

Meanwhile another letter to the Federal Way News editor — this one was anonymous — adopted somewhat genocidal overtones. The writer noted that when one had termites in one’s house, calling the exterminator was the best option.

“Why not treat these ‘hippy’ pests” in similar fashion? Youth delinquents had been coddled by mushy headed social worker types who made excuses for anti-social behavior, such as claiming the youth were victims of broken homes. It was time to restore respect for teachers and police. The best answer was to let the police handle the hippies as they see fit.”

Of the five letters the newspaper published on the subject in the summer of 1969, only one took a position opposed to the furor over the hippy menace. This sole letter was by Pam Sowers, who identified herself as a 1967 graduate of Federal Way High School and resident of Tacoma.

She argued that Federal Way youth had “only a few things available for leisure: drugs, sex, drive-in restaurants, hot cars and drive-in movies.” The result of this paucity of activities was that some youth turned to anti-social activities.

She suggested that local leaders fund a club of some sort to provide constructive leisure for teenagers. However, she believed that local leaders would not fund any such club because they preferred complaining about anti-social youth rather than doing anything about the problem.

A week after Sowers’s letter, EJ Howard replied with one of his own to the Federal Way News editor, arguing that Federal Way youth had plenty of opportunities for constructive and wholesome endeavors. These endeavors through which to divert their energy included intellectual activities, Bible study and “helping others.” However, he seriously doubted that local hippies would accept his suggestion to engage in those activities.

What the letters of Howard and others demonstrate is that the fear of unruly and morally degenerate youth that was widespread throughout the nation in the late 1960s was very visible in Federal Way. It also demonstrates the new problems Federal Way faced as, throughout the 60s, it experienced one of the most rapid population growths of any community in the county.

According to one estimate, the population of Federal Way was 14,000 in 1962 but shot to nearly 50,000 by 1969. Federal Way would have undoubtedly experienced drugs and the hippy phenomenon without the population growth but perhaps to a significantly lesser extent.

In Federal Way in the 1960s, more people meant more problems.

Chris Green is a member of the Historical Society of Federal Way. For information, call 253-945-7842. “Federal Way Flashback” is the Mirror’s new monthly feature.