Spring in Volunteer Park

Seattle has one of the best designed park systems in the country, thanks to the design firm of the Olmsted family of Brookline, Mass. and some forward thinking Seattle pioneers who set aside land early in Seattle’s history. The city bought these 45 acres in 1878, called it City Park - it was renamed Volunteer Park in 1901 to honor volunteers who served in the Spanish American war. The Olmsted brothers were hired in 1903 (and worked through 1941) to come up with an extensive plan of boulevards and parks joining all areas of the city. The parks all have a different quality, depending on the terrain, but most border a body of water and connect the various areas., This one is the most formal, being surrounded by the city on Capital Hill... We can walk here from our condo, and today we climbed the extra 106 steps in the historic water tower (built in 1906 with a deck at the top) for some of the best views in the city. In the other direction you can see downtown and Puget sound, but I rather liked this park view with the Art museum (built in 1933) and the conservatory (1912) barely seen behind the new spring leaves (a bit enhanced by the poster edges filter...) It’s interesting that Olmsted also was a big advocate of playgrounds within 1/2 mile of every home as “a necessity for a civilized society”. When our boys were small we lived nearby --this was the playground closest to us. I know it well. :-)

Well I didn’t mean to get carried away with history - but it is interesting -here’s more just in case....