Volunteer Park (Seattle) - History

History

Volunteer Park was acquired by the city of Seattle for $2,000 in 1876 from J.M. Colman. In 1885 it was designated a cemetery, but two years later it was named "Lake View Park," and the cemetery was developed on an adjacent plot of land (see Lake View Cemetery). The park then became known as "City Park." In 1901, it was renamed "Volunteer Park" to honor the volunteers who served in the Spanish-American War. J. Willis Sayre, a Seattle theatre critic, journalist, and historian, who had fought in the war, had actively lobbied local officials to rename this park. From 1904 to 1909, the Olmsted Brothers prepared formal plans for the park.

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