Giant old-growth Douglas firs once dominated the landscape here in Ravenna Park. Ravenna Park’s story began long before it became a public space. In 1887, Ravenna Park opened as a privately operated destination. It was then called Ravenna Springs Park.
William and Louise Beck purchased the land in 1888. They envisioned a new town named Ravenna. The name was inspired by the beautiful ravines near Ravenna, Italy. The Becks also founded the Seattle Female College here. The town even had its own Ravenna Station on the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad.
David Denny’s streetcar line arrived around 1892. It made Ravenna Park even more accessible. This encouraged real estate development. Sophie Frye Bass recalled moonlight excursions with Chinese lanterns. She said it seemed like a land fit for fairies.
The Becks improved the park with trails and a teahouse. They also built picnic shelters. The “Wood Nymphs’ Well” was a popular sulfur spring. Ravenna Park was advertised as a safe place for women and children. In 1902, 10000 visitors reportedly paid admission.
Louise Beck hosted famous musicians at her Ravenna Park home. Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Fritz Kreisler visited. However, Clarence Bagley called the park a “dark, dank, dismal hole.” Others saw it as a natural wonder like Niagara Falls.
In 1904, the largest tree was named the “Roosevelt Tree”. It honored President Theodore Roosevelt. Charles Cowen gifted adjacent land to the city in 1907. This became Cowen Park.
The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909 brought visitors. The Becks again offered to sell the park to the city. They named trees after celebrities. One tree was named after the musician Paderewski. Another was named after General Robert E. Lee.
In 1911, the City of Seattle condemned Ravenna Park. They acquired it for $144920. The city lowered Green Lake. This eliminated the need for an outflow creek. Ravenna Creek was diverted into a sewer line.
In 1913, the city cut down the Roosevelt Tree. They claimed it was a threat to public safety. Superintendent J. W. Thompson profited from its sale. Other large trees were also cut down. By the end of the 1920s, all the old-growth giants were gone.
In 1919, the city tried to rename it Roosevelt Park. Seattleites petitioned to restore the original name. In the mid-1960s, Cowen Park ravine was filled with freeway construction spoils.
Today, Ravenna Park offers a wooded ravine and trails. Ravenna Creek flows through it once more. It connects two picnic areas. The Cowen Park Bridge and Ravenna Park Bridge cross the park. Both bridges are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ravenna Park has seen much change. It transformed from a private park with towering trees to the public green space we see today. Though the giants are gone Ravenna Park remains a treasured part of Seattle’s history.