Wedgwood Rock facts for kids
Wedgwood Rock is a giant rock found near the Wedgwood neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Geologists, who study rocks and the Earth, call it the Wedgwood Erratic. It's a special type of rock called a glacial erratic, which means it was carried a long way by a glacier. The rock is made of the same materials as Mount Erie, an island mountain about 55 miles north of Seattle.
Long ago, before the Wedgwood neighborhood existed, this rock was known as "Lone Rock." Later, people simply called it "Big Rock." Over 14,000 years ago, a huge sheet of ice called the Vashon Glacier moved the rock to where it is today. For the Native Americans who lived there, it was an important landmark in the thick forest. Today, Wedgwood Rock is in a neighborhood on 28th Avenue NE, near NE 72nd Street. It's still surrounded by trees and plants, and local people help keep the area tidy.
The Rock's Early History
In 1881, Wedgwood Rock was known as Lone Rock. It was part of a large 160-acre farm owned by William Weedin. Someone wrote a letter in 1881 to a newspaper, the Daily Intelligencer, describing a Fourth of July picnic held at the rock. The letter said the rock was "in a dense forest" on Weedin's land. It was described as "a single rock 80 feet around and 19 feet tall." It was also covered in moss and other plants. This massive rock is estimated to weigh about 700 metric tons, which is like 700 small cars!
In 1888, the land where the rock sits was passed to Mary Miller. She was the wife of William Miller. William Miller had been involved in some important events in the area's history.
The Rock in the 1900s
By the early 1900s, the rock was called Big Rock. The Miller family allowed members of Seattle's Mountaineers Club to practice their rock climbing skills there. Edmond S. Meany, who was the president of the Mountaineers and a professor at the nearby University of Washington, often brought his students to the rock. They learned about how glaciers move and shape the land.
Later, Boy Scouts also learned to climb at Big Rock. They were taught by a German-born climber and scout leader named Wolf Bauer. Lloyd Anderson, who started the outdoor gear company REI, also taught climbing to Mountaineers and Boy Scouts at the rock. Some very famous climbers, like German-born Fred Beckey and Jim Whittaker, started their training at Big Rock. Jim Whittaker was the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain!
Mary Miller's son, Winlock Miller, was a member of the University of Washington's Board of Regents. He also helped promote Mount Rainier National Park. He kept the land around the rock undeveloped until the 1940s. In the 1940s, he sold the land to a developer named Albert Balch. Balch promised Miller that the area right around the rock would be saved as a park. However, he did not keep his promise. In 1946, a group of local citizens tried to convince the Seattle City Council to protect the area as a park, but they were not successful.
