Before recorded history, people lived along the shores of Henderson Inlet. These people were the Nisqually. Historical evidence of Nisqually habitation in the area is the presence of a shell midden at the bottom of Chapman Bay from archaeological explorations. The indigenous people lived in small groups, their livelihood determined by the availability of food and the local topography. Since a freshwater stream meant a source of drinking water and proximity to salmon runs, these small groups were always located along a stream or near its mouth. Marian Smith, an ethnologist, gave a more exact location as "in South Bay or Henderson Inlet between the head creek and the south creek." He called this little group tuts'e'tcaxt. Although the exact location of this small group is no longer known, some tentative conclusions can be drawn about Native American activity in the Woodard Bay area. Tuts'e'tcaxt was a permanent village, consisting of two cedar plank houses measuring approximately 30 feet by 100 feet. Here the natives lived during the harsh winter months. (Andrew Poultridge. 1991) In 1991, all portions of the Woodard Bay NRCA shoreline, all low-lying areas within 60 meters of the shore, existing trails inland from the shore, and the NRCA boundaries were subject to archaeological survey, which produced a total of 21 prehistoric archaeological sites. In 1852, New York native Harvey Rice Woodard followed his doctor's directions to find a new home and a more temperate climate. Later, in the winter of 1853, the Woodard family from New York arrived in Olympia by ship. In March of that year, the Woodard family settled in the bay that now bears their name. Here the family built a home, cleared ten acres for farming, and went to work building...... middle of paper......ton State, an important transportation site for seals, and for nesting and breeding areas for waterfowl. In the first phase, the project removed Woodard Bay Trestle, 90 percent of the open water pilings (leaving the pilings for seal hauling habitat), and approximately 150 feet of superstructure of the Chapman Bay Pier. ( Zukerberg, 2010) In the second phase, the project removed 800 to 1,000 feet from the end of the Chapman Bay Pier (including creosote-treated beams, decks, and pilings), salvaged ties and stringers to reinforce portions of the pier that currently they provide shelter and breeding for bats. habitat, added sheeting to habitat areas in need of cover or protection, and worked with bat biologists to identify suitable alternatives to upland habitats. (www.dnr.wa.gov) The goal of the restoration was to build the largest intact, undeveloped, protected coastal areas in southern Puget Sound. (US ACE, 2008)