West Seattle Blog reports that the seawall that was damaged by the punks who sent a stolen vehicle into the Sound at Emma Schmitz Park will get a temporary fix. Read West Seattle Blog’s coverage here.
Just doesn’t sit well…
UPDATE 8;47 PM 5/16/2014: We visited the site. The party is on… the chair is gone.
The now infamous Lazyboy of Beach Drive sits at party central in Mee-Kwa-Mooks park. This is a follow-up to yesterday’s post where a neighbor wanted someone to claim their chair that was left in front of their house.
A good perch for a “Mr. Rogers” type father figure to deliver a fireside chat?? Naw, more like a raging hot spot for delinquents to bust up some more PBR 40 ouncers and maybe a virgin sacrifice topped off with a chair burning ceremony! Not that I’m against all that… just not in our parks please.
NOTE: Another neighbor to the park has called the Park’s Dept to haul it away before tonight’s festivities.
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog.
Sunny flash-back Thursday on Beach Drive
The super fine folks at the the Southwest Seattle Historical Society dug up another vintage photo for us to enjoy…
The caption read: “Beach area below Jacobsen Dr on the left approximate location of Emma Schmitz and the houses on what was the orginal orchard area (of the Schmitz estate).”
I lined up the houses and vacant lots in the photo to put the circa between 1921-25. It appears that the old seawall was quite a bit higher and set back further than the current seawall constructed in 1927. The one remaining mystery of this historic photo is the house(s) to the far north/left. Are they the houses at the north end of the park or were homes at one time built on the wider strip of land of the park? I’m thinking the cameras were just that much better in the 20’s 🙂
The above photo was taken yesterday at low tide. The kids were splashing around where the old sewer/run-off structure is now. If you’re thinking the water must’ve been freezing and it must’ve been some sort of a double-dog-dare, think again! I measured the water temp in the shallows to be around 75 degrees…no fool’n!!
As far as the “original orchard” is concerned, a life long resident in the area told me that this is likely the last remaining fruit tree still standing from the original Schmitz family estate (now Mee-Kwa-Mooks park)…
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog
Tribute to a Beach Drive yacht that served her country
What better time than opening day of boating season to look back at a local legend? The Schmitz family yacht named Sans Souci II was 50′ long and weighed in at 8 tons. Built in 1907, she would’ve been 107 years old today! The following photo appears to be during an opening day parade between 1907 to 1917.
After a decade of pleasure use, she was drafted into service by the navy and renamed the USS Sans Souci II.
Sans Souci H, a wooden boat built during 1907 by Frank Tregoning’s yard at Seattle, Wash., was enrolled in the Naval Coast Defense Reserve on 15 June 1917 following United States entry into World War I; delivered to the Navy on 9 July 1917 by her owner, D. G. Schmitz of Seattle; and commissioned on 1 August 1917, Chief Boatswain’s Mate R. W. Capps, USNRF, in command.
Assigned to local duty within the 13th Naval District, Sans Souci II operated on patrol duty from Seattle until September 1917. She also served, briefly, as a tender to Philadelphia (Cruiser No. 4), the receiving ship at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash., during late 1917. Sans Souci II resumed patrol duty in Puget Sound, frequently operating with, or alternating with, SC-300, until 23 December 1918. She then remained inactive until decommissioned on 7 February 1919 and was struck from the Navy list the same day. Ordered returned to her owner on 26 March 1919, Sans Souci II remained on yacht registers into the early 1930’s.
This rare photo, courtesy of the fine folks at The Log House Museum/SWSHS, show her freshly decommissioned and still in uniform…
Circa 1919, anchored in front of the Schmitz family estate (mansion in background) which is now known as Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park on Beach Drive SW
Soon after decommissioning, this WWI veteran resumed her duty as a pleasure yacht. Here she is in of my favorite photos entertaining some beach Drive residents in their groovy roaring 20’s swimwear…
Photo courtesy of Log House Museum/SWSHS book “West Seattle”
If some evening you’re awakened by a deep rumbling off the shores of Beach Drive, just might be the ghost of the Sans Souci II making way towards Alki Point!
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog
New Seawall for Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook in 2015?
Plans are being finalized for a badly needed revamp for the deteriorating section of seawall at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook. Rebecca Rufin, PE Parks Engineering Manager was kind enough to reply to Beach Drive Blog’s email inquiry on any future plans to shore up the south portion of the vulnerable seawall.
Currently the US Army Corps of Engineers, with whom we have partnered under a preliminary federal grant program, is putting the finishing touches on a comprehensive study of a seawall replacement proposal. The study includes analysis of several design options and establishes a preferred approach based on economic, environmental, and other factors. When the study is complete, it will be sent to the federal offices in Washington DC for final approval and funding.
Assuming it is approved, the preferred design will essentially build a new seawall in front of the existing one, which will be left in place. The new seawall will be a bit higher. This would result in a park area adjacent to the street that will be a few feet wider and significantly more level, making it much more amenable for walking trail, landscape elements, and benches.
As for schedule, we do not anticipate project approval to proceed until sometime this summer. Detailed design would then commence, with construction likely the summer of 2015.
All the above is subject to change, but it’s the most likely scenario at this time.
Did I also mention this beauty sits on a fault line?!
Imagine a another 10+ feet of level park grass.
City and County officials have been eying the need to fix/repair this critical section of bulkhead for nearly a decade. The West Seattle Herald reported back in 2006 about fears of an environmental disaster if something wasn’t done soon. Quoting Les Soule, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers…
“If there is a major storm, there could be a loss of a portion of the seawall,” he said. “We would sure lose the 54-inch sewer main.”
The same article went on to quote Seattle City Councilman Richard Conlin, who served as the chairman of the City Council’s Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Committee back in ’06…
“The danger of catastrophic failure is real, which is why we are taking it up as an emergency preparedness mitigation project,” Conlin wrote in an e-mail response to questions. “It did fail to the north of this project site in 1998 during a winter storm.”
The sewer line behind the seawall carries about 50 million gallons of sewage a day northward along Beach Drive on its way to the West Point sewage treatment plant, Conlin said.
The following year, this Statement of Intent was entered:
Emma Schmitz Memorial Park-Seawall Repair
(SLI 122-1-A-2)
Statement of Legislative Intent: No later than June 15, 2007, the Department of Parks and Recreation will report to the Council Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Committee on updated cost estimates and methods, a cost sharing plan and a timeline for repair of the Emma Schmitz Memorial Park Seawall. The Department will work with the Seattle Department of Transportation, the Office of Emergency Management and King County Metro in developing the cost estimates and plans. The Department is also requested to contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to see if they are able to reinitiate funding for the project.
Responsible Council Committee(s): Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities Date Due to Council: June 15, 2007
I hope our tax dollars get put to work on this over-due project before a new wave of storms slam into the seawall.
Hat tip to neighbor Ed for alerting us that something was brewing at the park. His request for donating a park bench for dear friends that have recently passed is being delayed until the Seattle Parks Dept get a clearer picture of pending construction.
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog
*A case study published in 2008 by a UW student “Planning for Sea Level Rise in Seattle, Washington” centered it’s attention to replacement of the Emma Schmitz seawall. (I know all of you must be eager to hear my book report on it:))
Tall ship riding the out going tide & the pic of the week
Caught up with the Hawaiian Chieftain square rigger on it’s way from Port Orchard to Kirkland where she’ll be fixing her canons on the Lady Washington! Carillon Point Marina will host the two traditional sailing vessels for mock battles and ship tours thru Sept 2nd.
And here is our pic of the week taken by Ron Sterling across the street from Lowman Beach. The controversial Murray CSO Control Facility is in full swing…
Say goodbye to this 1926 duplex and the other long-standing houses along the strip.
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog
Don’t be Alarmed! Last Resort Fire Dept. just chill’n at Mee-Kwa-Mooks
Low Tides uncover cool West Seattle history
With much of our industrial history only dating back a hundred years or so, the lowest tides of the season still show-off West Seattle’s colorful past. Today’s low tide of -3.7 was about as low as we’re going to see this year so I figured a walk around the point was in order. The first stop was checking out the pilings rearing their worn heads from the early 1900’s off of Weather Watch Park at Carroll Street SW.
Some of the only history I’ve been able to find about the old pier is the verbal account of Ada Hallberg published in the newsletter Footprints of the SSWHS
There was a pier at Carroll St. in the early 1900’s; it was a regular port of call for the little steamer Eagle, which carried passengers to several ports on the Sound, including this little village of South Alki. Villagers would gather here when the steamer docked to meet the passengers. It was a time that neighbors met to greet each other and to visit with each other whether they expected a passenger or not. It was a gathering place for people whose homes were a considerable distance from each other.
The only other evidence of a substantial pier existing at this location is from a USCG chart dated 1918. I have inquiries into the Log House Museum as well as the Puget Sound Maritime Museum for any vintage photos showing this location was a launch (40ft or less) for Mosquito fleet steamers. The steamer Eagle was reported to have burnt & sunk in it’s home port of Winslow in the Spring of 1903. Many blamed the misfortune on an improper christening! NOT THAT THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FISHING HOLES but I can personally attest to the unusual deep underwater ravine located just off the park…
Next stop is some submerged pilings found on the south-end of Alki Beach. This was the southern stretch of several piers along Alki Beach…
Photo courtesy of BDB’s Rhonda Porter
This Seattle Archived photo 1936 shows the pier off in the distance.
Third stop is the site of the biggest, most bestest amusement park west of Chicago
A shot of the pier and support pilings of Luna Park & a protected niche for repairing halibut fishing boats
Fourth point of interest was the dawning of of Seattle’s first regular ferry service (outside the Mosquito fleet) near what is now Seacrest Park. An excerpt from History Link…
The company built a dock near today’s Seacrest Marina and began offering regular service to downtown Seattle on a steam-powered sidewheeler named the City of Seattle, the first bona fide ferry on Puget Sound, launched December 24, 1888. The crossing took eight minutes. One hundred and thirteen years, ten bridges, and tens of millions of dollars later, the City of Seattle still holds the record for the fastest trip between Seattle and West Seattle.
Finally, I wonder where these tracks and ramps led to…
Davy’s Locker perhaps???
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog
Beach Drive Arial Photos from 1937!
Was your home still a vacant lot in 1937? You can search King County Map Vault by Section Township Range to see how your lot appeared “back in the day”. Use this reference photo to locate your particular map section…
Jacobson Rd is located in Section 22. Lowman Cove is shared in both 27 & 26
Here’s an example of how present day Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park appeared back when it was occupied by West Seattle pioneers Ferdinand & Emma Schmitz…
Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog
Very Low and High Tides
We are experiencing some of the lowest tides of the year this Memorial Day weekend.
Today, Sunday, May 26:
- -3.6 at 12:23 pm
- 12.25 at 7:40 pm
Memorial Day, Monday, May 27:
- 6.41 at 1:09 am
- 11.06 at 6:09 am
- -3.4 at 1:11 pm
- 12.36 at 8:29 pm
You can meet beach naturalist from the Seattle Aquarium (they’ll be wearing red hats) at Constellation Park or Lincoln Park today and tomorrow from:
- Sunday, May 26: 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
- Monday, May 27: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Happy Memorial Day!
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