This Thursday, May 23rd, the Queen Anne Historical Society (QAHS) will be hosting its annual meeting at the Seattle Church of Christ at 7pm.

Kinnear Park, 1911
Photo courtesy of QAHS

In addition to brief QAHS business such as board elections, the meeting will spotlight the conservation efforts for Kinnear Park and the Southwest Queen Anne greenbelt.

Kinnear Park is located on the southwest corner of Queen Anne, and thanks to recent efforts by Friends of Lower Kinnear Park (FOLKpark) and Citizens for Off Leash Areas (COLA), it’s also now home to an off-leash dog park for Queen Anne (and visiting) canines.

Kinnear Park is one of several Queen Anne parks that were donated by residents, including Kerry Park, Marshall Park, Parsons Garden, and Bhy Kracke Park). As with our other Queen Anne parks, there are unique vistas to be had from Kinnear – views of Puget Sound can be had, and large champion trees fill the park with a rich canopy.

FOLKpark has been at the forefront of the revitalization of Lower Kinnear Park, and volunteers led by steward Howard Langevelt tend the Southwest Queen Anne greenbelt to the north. Howard and Debi Frausto of FOLKpark will join QAHS board members Holly Smith and Aaron Luoma to discuss the past and the future of the park and greenbelt.

Light refreshments will be provided and the free meeting is open to all. And, if you’re interested in the history or Queen Anne, you can join the QAHS at individual or family levels online. The QAHS meets bi-monthly with programs (like this one) about the history of Queen Anne, with the goal of preserving the heritage of our neighborhood.

You may recall – or may have even participated – in the Queen Anne Stairway Walk back in October. It was led by Cathy and Jake Jaramillo, authors of the new book “Seattle Stairway Walks: An Up-and-Down Guide to City Neighborhoods”, and the group traversed both easy-to-find and somewhat hidden stairways in Southwest Queen Anne. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and a good workout to boot!

If you missed the walk or have an interest in our Queen Anne stairways, the authors will be speaking at this week’s Queen Anne Historical Society’s monthly meeting – which is free and open to all. The Jaramillos will be discussing their experiences ascending and descending the many stairways on Queen Anne and in other nearby neighborhoods. You can check out more on their book in this article by our news partner The Seattle Times.

For a handy pocket-guide to all 120 of our Queen Anne stairways, check out the “Map of the (Oft) Pedestrian Public Stairs of Queen Anne”. It’s available through the QAHS and also at Charley+May (it’s in their display window right now). I’m currently working my way through all 120, and the pocket guide is certainly handy for finding those hidden stairways in our neighborhood!

Key Details:

• What: QAHS Meeting – Stairs of Our Neighborhood
• When: Thursday, January 24 at 7:00pm
• Where: Seattle Church of Christ, 2555 8th Ave W

The Queen Anne Historical Society’s mission is to preserve the history and fabric of our neighborhood, and this Thursday, QAHS presents “What Oral Histories Can Tell Us About Neighborhood Change” – your chance to hear oral histories from long-time Queen Anne residents, and talk with them about their experiences. Norma Cathey, Bob Frazier, and Kim Turner all experienced the metamorphosis following the 1962 World’s Fair, and their oral histories detail the changes Queen Anne experienced in the 1970s and 80s.

The QAHS will play sound bites from the oral histories and show images of Queen Anne before, during, and after the Fair. Guest speaker Debbie Fant, Deputy Director of Northwest Folklife (2012 winner of an Archie Green Fellowship for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress), will also discuss the importance of oral histories.

Thursday’s meeting is free and open to all, providing Queen Anne residents with the opportunity to learn more about our neighborhood’s history, how much it’s changed since 1962, and ask questions of the residents who experienced that history.

Key Details:
- What: QAHS Meeting
- When: Thursday, September 27, 7pm
- Where: Seattle Church of Christ, 2555 8^th Ave West
- Cost: FREE