When gold was discovered in Alaska in 1897, Seattle’s population exploded, more than tripling in less than ten years. The small outpost town with dirt roads suddenly became a city. From early on, a park system was envisioned by city planners, based on the Olmsted model developed in the northeast. In 1902, John Charles Olmsted was invited to help design a system that would connect existing parks and create new ones.
Jennifer Ott, assistant director of HistoryLink and steering committee member of Volunteer Park Trust, transports us to the West Coast and offers an introduction to the vast Olmsted Legacy in Seattle. Jennifer’s book, Olmsted in Seattle is available here: https://amzn.to/3yst8VV
To learn about The Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks and the information presented in this program, visit www.seattleolmsted.org.
