Olympic Hills, Seattle facts for kids
Olympic Hills is a cool neighborhood located in the Lake City area of Seattle, Washington. It's a place where you can find all sorts of different houses, from older ones that were moved here to make way for the Interstate 5 highway, to brand new homes built recently.
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Welcome to Olympic Hills!
Olympic Hills is part of the larger Lake City district. This district also includes other neighborhoods like Cedar Park, Matthews Beach, Meadowbrook, and Victory Heights. It's a lively part of Seattle with a mix of history and modern life.
A Place for Sports and History
Olympic Hills has a rich history, especially when it comes to sports!
The Famous Polo Field
Back in 1935, a very famous entertainer named Will Rogers played his last game of polo right here. Polo is a sport played on horseback, where players use mallets to hit a ball. The game took place at the Olympic Riding Club, which had stables and a polo field. This field was located near the Jackson Golf Course.
The polo field was a beautiful spot, surrounded by tall poplar trees. You could even see the green hills of the Olympic Mountains in the distance. A special monument was placed at the field to remember Will Rogers. Later, this monument was moved to Albert Davis Park, which is behind the Lake City Library. The library building is a historic landmark in the area.
In the late 1930s, the riding club land was sold and divided into smaller pieces for homes. This area, especially the hill to the east, became known as Olympic Village. In 1939, many of these new home lots were sold at an auction.
Golfing Fun at Jackson Course
The Jackson Golf Course, built in 1930, is still a popular spot today. A famous author named Homer Kelley, who wrote a book called The Golfing Machine, used to teach golf lessons here.
Golfers still come to practice their swings at this public course. There's also a nice walking trail around the edge of the course. It's a great place for neighbors to enjoy a bit of nature, even though they are in an urban neighborhood.
Nature's Touch: Thornton Creek
A beautiful stream called Thornton Creek flows right through the Olympic Hills neighborhood. This creek is on its journey all the way to Lake Washington, which is a large lake in the Seattle area. The creek adds a touch of nature and a peaceful feeling to the neighborhood.
Albert Davis Park: A Community Gem
One of the special places in Olympic Hills is Albert Davis Park. This park was given to the City of Seattle in 1964. It's named after Albert Davis, who was a very important community leader in Lake City. He passed away in 1971.
Albert Davis was born in New York in 1890. He was a founding member of the Lake City Vigilantes and was also part of a fun group called the Keystone Kops. He started the yearly salmon barbecue, which was famous for his "Secret Seasoning." He also helped organize the Lake City Pioneer Days celebration and was very active in the Youth Center. People thought of him as the unofficial "ambassador-mayor" of Lake City because he was so friendly and involved. In 1971, he received the Golden Acorn award from the PTA for all his hard work.
