Building History

George Cotterill (1865–1958), an early advocate of bicycle recreation (and future Seattle Mayor), proposed a network of paths around the city to take advantage of the city's remarkable scenery. The first leg of the path system was built along Lake Washington, while the next segment of the path system was cleared by bicyclists along Magnolia Bluff, in what is now the Magnolia neighborhood.

The Seattle Times stated in its issue of 06/06/1899: "Geo. Cotterill, chairman of the path committee, and two or three members of the Good Roads Club, tramped out over the route of the Magnolia Bluff bicycle path yesterday. The members of the party are very enthusiastic over the beauties of the route. Very few people of Seattle have ever had an opportunity to view the city, Sound and mountains from such a vantage ground. Riders who have been charmed by the Lake Washington path will await with pleasant anticipation the time when they will be permitted to share in the delights of Minor Point and the bluff beyond. The stakes of the preliminary survey have been driven as far as Minor Point above the glass works and today the line is being pushed further around. The elevation stakes as far as set show a very easy grade all along the west side of Smith's Cove, with an almost unobstructed view of the city, the bay and Mount Rainier.
The extent to which the work can be pushed will depend upon the wheelmen themselves and from the present indications everyone is anxious to have the whole proposed route added to the path system." (See "The Construction of the Magnolia Bluff Bicycle Path Is Now Assured," Seattle Times, 06/06/1899, p. 8.)

PCAD id: 19660