Settlers, a schoolhouse, and a creek. These are the whispers that surround Ross Creek in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Ross Creek isn’t just a body of water. It’s a thread woven into the fabric of Fremont’s history. Let’s step back to the late 1850s. John and Mary Jane Ross, among Fremont’s earliest Euro-American settlers, established their homestead along the south side of the Outlet, later known as Ross Creek. The 1870 census paints a picture of their life: a family with five children, John working as a millwright. Ross Creek played a silent role in their daily routines, a constant presence in this burgeoning community. Education was a priority for Mary Jane. In 1873, she transformed a vacant room in their home into a classroom. This makeshift school served children from Queen Anne Hill and the north shore of Lake Union. Ross Creek was the backdrop, flowing nearby as children learned and grew. By the early 1880s, the Ross family, now with seven children, had relocated. Their new home was north of the Outlet, near what is now Third Avenue NW and NW 41st Street. The community expanded around them. Eleven families and numerous school-age children called the Salmon Bay area home. The area became known as Ross, eventually including a railway station. The Ross family’s generosity extended to donating land for a new, two-room schoolhouse at Third Avenue NW and NW 43rd Street. Ross Creek, though not directly on the school grounds, remained a defining feature of the landscape they shaped. In 1888, the Ross Addition and the Ross 2nd Addition were officially recorded, encompassing much of the original Ross homestead. Mary Jane retained a 7-acre parcel near what we know as Ross Creek today. The creek persists, a quiet testament to the Ross family’s legacy. It’s a reminder of a time when Seattle was taking shape, a time when a creek was more than just a creek, but a vital part of a growing community.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to