Right here before us stands the Brown Owl Bridge. It is a testament to early 20th-century vision. The Brown Owl Bridge whispers tales of a bygone era. It connects us to the story of Woodway Park.
Let’s journey back to 1912. David Whitcomb, an Ohio native, purchased 320 acres here. This land was recently logged. He envisioned Woodway Park. It would be a wooded residential area. House lots would be no less than two acres. Whitcomb expanded the area to 400 acres.
The Edmonds Tribune-Review documented J. T. Dovey’s surveying work. Dovey worked for the Seattle Engineering Company. This was in May 1912. Whitcomb’s dream materialized in the late 1920s. His promotional pamphlet featured house plans by local architects. It showed homes already built in Woodway Park.
Whitcomb held back 60 acres for his own estate. The unsold properties were smaller. They approximated two acres. No official plat was filed with Snohomish County. The county assessor created its own plat of the area. It is still in use today.
David Whitcomb was involved in other ventures. He chaired the first Red Cross drive in Seattle during World War I. He was president of the Rainier National Park Company. Whitcomb also propagated the Whitcomb cherry from his home. By 1930, census records show him divorced. He lived at the “Woodway farm” with his son. His occupation was listed as “corporation lawyer.” His property was the largest in Woodway Park.
Snohomish County completed the road from Richmond Beach to Edmonds in April 1912. The cement bridge over Deer Creek was readied for traffic. It still stands. The Brown Owl Lodge was the only structure on the 320 acres. Whitcomb and his family lived there. They lived there while his mansion was built. The mansion was called Westwold. The work crew’s camp was near the lodge. It was north and east of the cement bridge. Though logged, the land needed clearing of slash and stumps.
The Edmonds paper stated Whitcomb’s vision. The entire tract would be cleared. It would be divided into smaller tracts. These would be sold to wealthy people. They could afford expensive improvements. They could erect homes of credit to the locality. Strict building regulations would be enforced. Only the finest dwellings would be erected. Whitcomb aimed to provide an elevated building site for each tract.
Allen M. and Amanda C. Yost sold the land to Whitcomb. They had arrived in Edmonds around 1890. They moved from Pennsylvania. They had lost their money farming in Kansas. Yost had learned carpentry. He used these skills in Edmonds.
On May 4, 1912, the Yosts signed an option agreement. David Whitcomb purchased 320 acres. The price was $85,000. One thousand dollars was paid for the option. The remaining amount was due later. Any tract of 10 acres could be released. This was upon payment of $300 an acre. An allowance was made for a 60-foot road. It would run north and south through the property.
The Woodway Park Corporation executed the deed. The first sale occurred on October 1, 1920. W. A. Broom bought his lot for $8,900. Whitcomb bought smaller lots along the coast. He sold Broom a view lot. The original Yost land was slightly inland.
The Brown Owl Bridge stands as a reminder. It is a reminder of Woodway’s exclusive residential covenants. Only residential use was permitted. No tract could be less than two acres. Only one house was allowed per tract. These restrictions shaped the area. They maintained its character for decades.
The story of the Brown Owl Bridge intertwines with Woodway Park. It reflects Whitcomb’s vision. He wanted to create an exclusive residential enclave. The bridge connects us to that vision. It is a vision of elegance and exclusivity. This vision shaped Woodway’s identity. Even today, it remains a quiet and elegant community.