Land Use History

           The namesake of Carkeek Park was a prominent developer in the Pacific Northwest Region. In the 1920’s, the City Council and Mr. Carkeek bought Piper’s Canyon and Matthews Beach for a new park location after a previous Carkeek Park in Sand Point became the place of a Naval base in 1926. Originally, a dusty county road existed along the ravine across from the railroad tracks. A sawmill was in operation on the beach in the 1920’s as well, but later was replaced by Whiz Co. fish trap until 1932. In 1929 the community, led by Greenwood-Phinney Commercial Club, made a dedication program to honor Mr. Carkeek and finally open the park. The first improvements to the park were removing shacks and planting vegetable gardens for zoo animals. Later a concession contract in 1931 led to improvements and work projects in the park. The unemployed of 1931 through the Civilian Conservation Corps and the WPA in addition to the Nation Park Service constructed trails and a stove shelter at the park. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed camp buildings, but removed all but one and in 1942 the US Army reactivated the camp for encampment. A sewage treatment plant was established in 1949 and bought by Metro in 1954 and the proximity and construction of feeder sewer lines through the park plus subsequent washouts by pipe breaks have significantly changed the park from what could be considered a “wilderness” area to an “urbanized” park. In 1953 the loop road around the park was developed and paved while a Carkeek Garden Club planted rhododendrons at the park entrance. Many developments were made from 1928 to the present, by the CCC, WPA, Boy Scouts, and contractors who all worked to establish trails, picnic areas, and roads, making the park what it is today. The park has continued to expand and in 1976 the southwest area of the park was acquired, the lower picnic area was created, and the site of the South Trail Bluff and my walking tour, Pipers Creek Trail, was constructed (History: Carkeek Park).