A bitter taste lingers. That’s what gave Bitter Lake its name. Not a bitter feeling but a literal bitterness.
Before us lies Bitter Lake a small lake in northwest Seattle. Its history is rich and layered like the sediments at its bottom. For thousands of years long before the city surrounded it the lake existed. Glaciers carved its basin some 15000 years ago. The same glaciers that shaped Lake Washington Lake Union Green Lake and Haller Lake.
Long before the English name the Lushootseed people knew it as cHálq’Wadee. Meaning “blackcaps on the sides”. This refers to the blackcap plants that once grew abundantly along its shores. Bitter Lake was more than just a pretty place. It was a refuge. A safe haven for the Shilshole people during raids from the far north.
Then came the sawmill. Established at the southwest corner until 1913 it changed the lake forever. Logs dumped into the water released tannic acid. This gave the water a bitter taste. The sawmill’s legacy remains in the lake’s name. A reminder of the past and the impact of industry on nature.
The Seattle-to-Everett Interurban streetcar arrived in 1906. It connected Bitter Lake to the wider world. The neighborhood grew. Seattle annexed it in 1954. The lake’s story continues to unfold.
Today Bitter Lake is a tranquil space. A place where people enjoy recreation. It’s a reminder of a powerful past. A past of glaciers Indigenous communities and industry. But it’s also a vibrant part of present-day Seattle.
A place of both bitterness and beauty. A place that deserves to be remembered. A place we’re fortunate to share today.