Alki History – Presentations

Seattle’s Horizon House – Alki Seattle’s Founding Neighborhood and Recreational Treasure (February 10, 2020)

This presentation is a review of the first days of the European-American  settlement of Seattle’s Alki neighborhood and the impact of changing American recreation and leisure time values, in the later half of the 19th century, upon the neighborhood.  It was these value changes which drew Alki out of being an agricultural backwater and propelled the neighborhood into Seattle’s urban orbit.  Alki’s recreational assets became treasured by the larger Seattle region and have been safeguarded and have now been held in trust for well over 125 years.

To see this Powerpoint presentation, click here for slideshow or PDF format. PDF is the fastest download.

Alki United Church of Christ – The Town of Alki (October 27, 2018)

Today, the Town of Alki no longer exists. In its place rests remnants of summer beach cottages, 1950’s and 60’s styled houses and, increasingly, a collection of waterfront multi-million dollar homes, condominiums and penthouses.  The 1850’s Town of Alki promoters, John N. Low, and the brothers Charles C. and Leander Terry failed in their efforts to build a trade and commercial center along the shores of Puget Sound largely because they failed to recognize the natural and physical limitations to trade and exchange of their town site.

The story of the Town of Alki is generally seen as an aside to the story of Seattle’s founding.  As an aside, the story ignores the significant contributions of persons other than the Denny brothers, fails to adequately explore the motivation and character of the pioneer European-American immigrants and dismisses the role played by environmental characteristics, particularly the lack of accessible fresh water supplies and topographical challenges. 

In the eyes of the European-Americans the Town of Alki land was “free” courtesy of the United States Government’s Oregon Donation Land Claim Act.  To the Native Americans, the compensation promised for the “free” land remains unpaid.  Beyond the issue of compensation and mutuality of the compensation agreement, a case can be made that the European-Americans who first took the Alki land did so by deceit and dishonesty.

To see this Powerpoint presentation, click here for slideshow or PDF format. 

Southwest Seattle Historical Society Southwest Speakers Series – Navigating To Alki (March 18, 2018)

A review of the Society’s exhibit Navigating to Alki, a story of the growth and development of north end of the Duwamish Peninsula and Alki Point to 1907 told through maps.   Exhibit map outtakes and bonus features not making the exhibit are also presented.  To see this Powerpoint presentation, click here for slideshow or PDF format.  A Powerpoint presentation of supplemental maps included in the exhibit can be found here in slideshow or PDF format.

Southwest Seattle Historical Society Docents (2/16/2017)

An Introduction to the Alki History Project.  Information about the Terry Land Claim, the General Land Survey of 1862, Plat of Alki Point (1891), the Doc Maynard House and the how the Alki History Project began.  To see this Powerpoint presentation, click here for slideshow or PDF  format.