Before recorded history, people lived along the shores of Henderson Inlet. These people were the Nisquallys. Historical evidence of Nisqually habitation in the area is the presence of a shell midden in lower Chapman Bay during archaeological explorations. The natives lived in small groups and their livelihoods were determined by the availability of food and local topography. Because 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, ethnologist, provided a more precise location as being "on South Bay or Henderson Inlet, between the creek at the head and that to the south." She called this little group tuts'e'tcaxt. Although the exact location of this small group is no longer known, uncertain 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 parts of the Woodard Bay NRCA shoreline, all flat areas within 60 meters of the shore, existing trails inland from the shore and the boundaries of the NRCA were the subject of archaeological reconnaissance, which yielded a total of 21 prehistoric archaeological sites. In 1852, Harvey Rice Woodard, a New Yorker, followed his doctor's instructions 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 the same year, the Woodard family settled on the edge of the bay which today bears their name. Here the family erected a house, cleared ten acres for farming, and set to work building...... middle of paper ......ton State, an important stranding area for harbor seals, as well as for nesting and breeding. areas reserved for waterfowl. In the first phase, the project removed the Woodard Bay trestle, 90% of the open water pilings (leaving the pilings for seal haulout habitat), and approximately 150 feet of superstructure from the Chapman Bay jetty. (Zukerberg, 2010) In the second phase, the project removed 800 to 1,000 feet of the end of the Chapman Bay pier (including girders, decking and creosoted pilings), stringers and path ties of iron recovered to reinforce the parts of the pier which currently serve as a refuge and breeding ground for bats. habitat, added sheeting to habitat areas that need covering or protection, and worked with bat biologists to identify suitable upland habitat alternatives. (www.dnr.wa.gov) The goal of the restoration was to build the largest intact, undeveloped, protected coastal areas in southern Puget Sound. (USACE, 2008)