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Green Lake pioneers: The Weedin family

What do you think? (9 Comments) February 7, 2010 at 10:56AM

Check out today’s Seattle Times for a riveting historical account with ties to our neighborhood.

Written by Russ Hanbey, 1916 Seattle was a hotbed of sin when 2 officers were killed describes a wild, unlawful time in Seattle’s history.   Against a backdrop of booze, prostitution, and general unlawfulness, Hanbey share the details of the July 1916 murder of his great grandfather, Seattle Police Sgt. John Finis Weedin, in the first multiple killing of Seattle police officers in the line of duty.

Did you catch that name?  Yep, Weedin, as in Weedin Place NE, that little street in east Green Lake, located east of NE Ravenna Blvd and running under I-5.

Sgt. Weedin, his wife, Agnes, and eight children lived at a farmhouse at 6042 6th Ave NE, a few blocks south of present-day Weedin Place.  Sadly, this residence no longer survives; in it’s place stand the south-bound lanes of I-5.

Hanbey writes:

Poor [Green Lake] had been diked, dredged and drained, and its once-free-flowing outlet stream, Ravenna Creek, had evolved into a wetland dependent on springs and minor tributaries. What was left in the creek’s ravine was a tight thicket of alders, willows and a few towering cedars set off as Ravenna Park, where visitors were supposed to pay a small fee to enter.

There was a nice pathway through the ravine, and the Weedin kids had a field day playing in the murky landscape behind their house, despite the official boundaries. In front of their house was a forest dense with 600-year-old Douglas firs and hemlocks. Often, the sun didn’t make it through the forest canopy to lighten up their home, but Sgt. Weedin traveled into the light daily on his trip to downtown Seattle.

After Sgt. Weedin was shot and killed,

Weedin’s widow, Agnes, was forced to sell off most of the family land to survive. Her son, John K., quit school and went to work as a logger to help support the family. The street Weedin Place near Green Lake was named after the pioneer family.

Thank you, Russ Hanbey and The Seattle Times, for sharing this information.  Russ, we eagerly await your forthcoming book!

Read more stories with an historical bent on My Green Lake.

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What do you think? (9 Comments)
  • seattler0cks

    Amy,

    I did catch that. Note, Weedins homesteaded in the area just east of Green Lake in the 1890s:

    http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-brs….

    and sent their children to schools in the surrounding area:

    http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPag…

    The question is, what was the connection between John Weedin in the Times piece, and this family. John Weedin as born in 1872 or so according to the story (44 in 1916), so he would have been too old to have been a child of the Weedins above (or so it would seem). Nonetheless, it seems more than coincidence that he moved to the same area. Perhaps Russ Hanbey can shed some light.

    James Cameron, Green Lake

  • mygreenlake

    Wow, interesting question, James! It does seem that there must be some connection. If I find anything out, I'll be sure to let you know, and you do the same, OK?

    Thanks so much for writing, and for providing the links.

  • Russ Hanbey

    James,
    John F. was indeed the son of Robert Weedin. Robert and his brother WL homesteaded in the Green Lake area, starting in 1877. By then, Robert had five children, so he and others started the first school in the area (and Temperance Society). John F. and Agnes moved back out to the Green Lake area from downtown and settled into the family home on 6th Avenue NE with their nine children. John and Agnes owned inherited 80 acres at the time of his death, much of it where the I-5 runs now. Daphane, one of John's children was my father's mother.

  • seattler0cks

    Russ,

    Ah, ha! So if John Weedin was born in 1872 or so, his father, Robert Weedin, would have been born in the 1840's or so?

    In this photo:

    http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/%7Escripts/nph-br…

    it states:

    “Mrs. Weedin, wife of Robert Weedin, one of the original homesteaders. E 73rd St.”

    I'm not clear where on 73rd this is – just south of the Wood residence here:

    http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-ayp/item_…

    (that corner is where the current Green Lake Bar and Grill resides), or further east. And was this address simply part of the homestead, or a residence separate from the one at 6042 6th Ave NE, which was a number of blocks south?

    Finally, there were a number of Weedins who attended the UW in the late 20s and 30s (Leslie, Dan and Charles), as well as one in the 70s or so (Daniel). Do these individuals have a connection to John Weedin or the rest of that large clan?

  • Russ Hanbey

    Robert, and his brother William, migrated to the Green Lake area around 1873 after fighting many battles in the Civil War. They were originally from Missouri. Robert was born in 1842. The brothers homesteaded 160 acres (quarter section) of land on the SE corner of Green Lake, having married two sisters who came with them to homestead the 'wilderness' north of Seattle. He cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, had a connection to Frank and Jesse James while in Missouri, and built his first house near 65th and Latona. My wife and I purchased and rebuilt a house at 6523 Latona in 1992, which was on or close to the Weedin's original acreage. Later on, one of Robert's sons built and operated a garage at the SE corner of 65th and Latona, across from LuLus coffee shop. My cousin Glenn has documented much of their story, which will be part of another article or the forthcoming book, 'Two Grandfathers'.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Judy-Ryan/1435411499 Judy Ryan

    Hi Russ,
    I was fascinated about the story in the Seattle Times about your late Great Grandfather, John Weedin. The cover photo was beautiful and very eye catching. I'm an artist and I've done a collage piece of your Great Grandfather and thought you might want to see it. I know it's copy righted and just did this one for myself and for practice. If you give me your e-mail I can send you a photo of it.
    Thanks, Judy
    My e-mail is rjjryan@yahoo.com

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