He loved trails and was the only doctor in town for years. Here’s how he’ll be honored
Douglas Tait delivered hundreds of babies.
After all, he was the only doctor Buckley locals had access to around the 1960s.
“We got paid with chickens and wood,” Maura Choppala, Tait’s eldest daughter, said. “He hated billing people.”
Tait and his wife had roots in Canada. They moved to Buckley in 1959 and lived on a farm near a busy road and an unused train track. Tait was born in 1927 and passed away in 2003 at the age of 76, survived by two daughters and a son.
For over 30 years, Tait delivered babies and also helped patients when they had general health issues. But Tait’s passion extended beyond medicine — he advocated for converting an abandoned railway into a paved recreational trail.
He played a role in establishing the Foothills Trail – a 21-mile commuter route that passes through Puyallup, Orting, South Prairie and Buckley. The first mile in Buckley was finished in 1992.
Members of the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition are hoping to honor Tait and other coalition members. Come fall 2023, the Foothills Trail Historical Pavilion and Dr. Douglas Tait Plaza is expected to stand behind Wally’s Drive-In restaurant at 282 state Route 410. They hope to start construction in the spring or summer of 2023.
“There are many of us who don’t want to lose sight of who had the initial idea for a recreation trail,” committee chair Robin Partington said. “We also don’t want to lose sight of all the other individuals … who have been involved in making this a reality.”
The nonprofit’s mission is to create, maintain and promote the use of trails for communities from Mount Rainier to the Puget Sound, according to the organization’s website.
Tait was one of those who helped found the nonprofit nearly 40 years ago.
A resting place
Partington said the pavilion will feature Tait’s story and how the trail came to fruition. Visitors can also expect to see names of other people, organizations and cities involved in converting the abandoned railway.
The pavilion will have a map of the entire trail. Historical artifacts such as an antique railroad baggage cart, parts of a railway track, as well as a wigwag — a railroad crossing signal — will also be included in the pavilion.
“(It will) just be a really nice resting and meet up place for people who are walking or bicycling or riding horses on the trail,” Partington said.
The coalition started officially planning for the pavilion about two years ago, Partington said. Funds to build the $250,000 pavilion have yet to be fully secured. The coalition is hoping to get donations, grants and begin hosting fundraising events. They have close to $10,000 so far, Partington said.
“We’re very hopeful that next year will bring in a good amount of the money,” Partington said. “We’re appreciative of anyone who can help with the project.”
Daughter Garnette Sutherland said Tait was a fun, loving and enthusiastic person. He loved hiking and spending time with nature. He enjoyed helping others and was invested in his community, she said.
One of Tait’s notable accomplishments is helping establish Buckley’s first aid car, his son Garth said. The emergency vehicle would work with the fire department to help give victims first aid, among other things.
“He was really instrumental with the town,” Garth Tait said. “... I think he saw that it (the railway) was underutilized property and the potential in it.”
