Ravenna Park, one of Seattle's oldest, was among the few areas that escaped the logger's ax in the late 1800s and thus preserved stunning examples of giant old-growth Douglas Firs. Centered around a steep ravine just north of the University District, the park opened in 1887 as a privately operated destination called Ravenna Springs Park. It featured nature trails and mineral springs touted for their supposed healthful qualities. Seattle bought the park in 1911, and subsequently lowered the lake that fed its stream and cut down many magnificent trees. Today a community group, Ravenna Creek Alliance, works to protect and restore the city park and the adjacent Cowen Park.
This image of three unidentified men was taken as they lean against a tree noted as having a 33-foot circumference.
Caption information source: "Ravenna Park (Seattle)" by Peter Blecha, HistoryLink.org Essay 9559
ID Number: Lib1991.5.32
Date: Circa 1900
Physical Description: 1 photographic print mounted on cardboard : b&w ; 4 x 6 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
Credit: MOHAI, William S. Newton Photographs, Lib1991.5.32
