Eastside Real Estate Working-for-you!

Friday's Did You Know? The Kirkland Ferry Clock

Did you know that the giant clock on the corner of Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue was installed for boat schedules?  Ferry owner, John Anderson, installed the large clock on January 1, 1935 at the dock by Marina Park. 

Before the floating bridges connected the Eastside and Seattle, area residents rode the ferries to navigate across Lake Washington.

The giant Lake Washington Ferries clock placed on a lamppost, still gives Kirkland residents and visitors the time of day.

Friday's Did You Know? Juanita Beach is one of the coldest place on earth!

By Greg Perry
Kirkland Realtor

Every spring, as the flowering plumb and cherry blossoms bloom, another rite of spring takes place in Juanita.  Opening day of little league baseball.

I have come to realize that spring baseball in Juanita could just possibly be one of the coldest times of the year, and the Juanita beach baseball fields one of the coldest places on earth.  There something special about the mix of a 38-42 degree evening with 10-20 mph winds whipping straight off Lake Washington.

Generations of parents and grandparents have put on their spring baseball uniforms right along with the kids.  Long underwear, polar fleece and a heavy parka.  The loving spectators bring a pad for those icy aluminum bleachers and finally cozy up in a blanket and change from a baseball cap to a stocking cap to watch America's summer pastime.

The kids on the other hand must be mutants.  They're out there in their uniforms.  Short sleeved baseball jerseys and baseball pants.  The only visible sign that one can tell they might be a little cold is the second baseman who starts jumping and an alert coach who know his signs........the kid needs to go (and quick).  Coach makes a quick mid inning substitution and the 2nd baseman trots off.  A few minutes later he announces to his replacement that he's back and reclaims his post.  Nobody bothers to alert the scorekeeper to update the book.

And speaking of mutants, there is always, always some big dude who has on a jersey and shorts.  Shorts! for crying out loud.  He stands around for 6 icy innings somehow trying to convince everyone he's not cold.  What is it about guys who wear shorts 365 days of the year?  I don't get it.

When the summer hot days do finally come, and we're standing in line to pick up an order of fish and chips at Spuds, you'll often see people staring through the window at those baseball fields.  People often say we don't remember pain.  From the look on their face as they start to involuntarily shiver,  I wonder.......

Friday's Did You Know? Mt. Si fell from the moon

In my research of Mt. Si in the Snoqualmie Valley, I learned of this fantastic legend.  So to continue the recent Friday's Did You Know's this weeks is again about Mt. Si and a legend.  From Wikipedia:

Mount Si figures prominently in a Prometheus story from the Snoqualmie tribe. According to the story, recorded by Ella Clark in 1953, it is the dead body of Snoqualm, the moon. Snoqualm had ordered that a rope of cedar bark be stretched between the earth and the sky. But Fox and Blue Jay went up the rope and stole the sun from Snoqualm. Snoqualm chased them down the cedar rope, but it broke and he fell to his death. Fox then let the sun free in the sky and gave fire to the people. A face like Snoqualm's is visible on the rocks near the summit.

Friday's Did You Know? - Josiah Merrit

Did you know that Mt. Si is named after a rugged man.    Mt. Si in the Snoqualmie valley is named after Josiah Merrit aka Uncle Si.  Want rugged?  Uncle Si built a cabin at the base of the peak in 1862 by hauling the materials on his back.  Not only that, but local historians tell the tale of Uncle Si trading bacon to the larger settlements around the area.  In order for him to do this, he would strap the bacon to his back, climb down the 268' falls, hike several miles, then canoe the rest of the distance to either Everett or Seattle. 

Looks like the commute is actually getting better out of the valley to Seattle and Everett!  Who'da thunk?

Friday's Did You Know? Isquowh...

Did you know that Issaquah hasn't always been Issaquah.   Issaquah is actually a corruption of the correct name "isquow, " which means "sound of water birds"...So I suppose  Issaquah means "used to sound like birds but now sounds like development"?

Issaquah also went by another name "Gilman" from 1892-1899. 

Friday's Did You Know? -- The Ferry Kalakala

The futuristic ferry, Kalakala, was built in the Lake Washington Shipyards, in Kirkland, and was launched on July 2, 1935.  The Kalaka was built for the Seattle to Bremerton run and was the largest and fastest ferry on Puget Sound.

She was very luxurious and was considered a tourist attraction.  The Kalakala even entertained passengers with her own eight piece orchestra.

To read more about the facinating ferry,  Kalakala, click here! http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=312

Friday's Did You Know? The old Commute...

You think our commutes from the Eastside to Seattle are hard now?  Consider this.  Back in the day when The Tolt/Carnation area was being settled, the commute was much much worse.  Did you know a commute from Seattle to the Tolt area included a ferry, pack horses, and an Indian canoe?  From Historylink.org:

Getting to Tolt from Seattle was no easy task, but many prospective farmers did. W. A. Templeton, writing in 1953, remembered as a child taking the ferry across Lake Washington, riding pack horses to Redmond, and then following 20 miles of trails to Tolt. Once at the river, goods were transported across in a large Indian canoe.

Can you imagine?

Friday's Did You Know? The Burke-Gilman Trail

The Burke-Gilman Trail is a biking, hiking, skating, walking or skipping path that follows the original route of the Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad. The trail is named after the Railroad founders Judge Thomas Burke and Daniel Gilman. The line went east along Lake Union's north shore and then around Lake Washington.  The history of the trail is the history of the original railroad that created it.  The line was originally intended to cross Snoqualmie Pass. While this goal was never reached, the rail line did quickened the development of King County by carrying much of the Timber and coal used to build it up.  The original "Burke-Gilman trail" (railroad at the time) reached Snoqualmie Falls in 1889, when line was built to connect with the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the town of Sumas.

After the railroad was abandoned in the 60's, the city of Seattle purchased the old line to build our beloved urban trail. 

Friday's Did You Know? - Holy COW!

Did you know that once upon a time, in the small eastside town of Carnation lived a cow.  Her name was Segis Pietertje Prospect or more affectionately known as Possum Sweetheart.  Possum was no ordinary cow.... no way.  An ordinary cow only produces 4,000 pounds of milk in a year.  In 1920 Possum Sweetheart broke the worlds record for most milk produced in a year.  She pumped 37,361 pounds!  HOLY COW!

Poor old Possum died in 1925.  A monument was erected in her honor at the entrance of Carnation farms.

Friday's Did You Know? Columbia Winery.

Did you know that Woodinvilles Columbia winery is a transplant from Seattle? The winery was started in the Seattle neighborhood of Laurelhurst by a group of ten friends.  In 1976 the winery moved to Redmond where production reached 9,000 gallons.  From Redmond, the winery moved to Bellevue so they could expand facilities as they were cranking out 30,000 cases.  In 1998 Columbia winery moved to its current home in Woodinville and have an average annual production of 170,000 cases.  Columbia winery, its been all over Seattle's Eastside, and not just in our glasses!