History Fairwood, King County, Washington

the fairwood area settled in late 1880s coal mining, farming , ranching major activities. in times, transportation limited, in winter. there several lakeside resorts used seattle area residents fishing , day trips.

indians , settlers found cedar river runs through valley below fairwood shortest route puget sound eastern washington. valley, north of library, heavily wooded narrow , rough trails making travel difficult. lack of direct route , condition of trails, muddy in winter , rocky in summer, hindered settlement along valley.

henry villard of northern pacific devoped rail line , station along cedar mountain in eastern fairwood

as 1870, martin cavanaugh discovered coal in area bordered 196th se , maple valley highway below cedar mountain in eastern fairwood. in 1882 black diamond coal company of california surveyed cedar river valley coal , found enough prospects warrant search , financing of railroad. ended selling rail rights henry villard of northern pacific developed railroad under name of columbia & puget sound railway. in 1904 railway sold pacific coast coal company later became part of chicago, milwaukee & st. paul electrified line.

with development of railway came settlers, many of whom worked in mines , lived in small cedar shacks on hillsides , along river. in 1884 james m. colman began mine cedar mountain area, , family helped start , operate small town of cedar mountain. consisted of store, hotel, boarding house, sawmill, post office, couple of saloons , many small homes. children lived @ top of mountain went 2 schools: cedar mountain , crosson. crosson located @ present intersection of 196th , shadow lake road , has since been remodeled residence.

one of first known buildings in fairwood area elliott dairy farm. complex of 8 buildings associated dairy farm of robert james elliott. complex includes large craftsman-style dwelling, 3 barns, feed house, milk house, equipment shed, , carriage house attached garage. last remaining intact dairy farm in area, being longest operating farm in area. dairy farm operated 1906 1968, when elliott s grandson sold off herd. beef cattle on property until 1970s after farming operations ended. since 1983 house has been vacant, has been designated king county historical landmark. in vicinity of elliott farm there train stop known elliott station (not named after robert elliott). railroad stop along railway owned , operated pacific coast coal company.

the first school in area built near elliott farm , opened on november 8, 1885. 8 grades taught in schoolhouse , attendance ranged 2 two dozen. school became part of renton school district in 1942 , closed doors in 1962. building purchased william veenhuizen in 1947 , moved farm located short distance elliott farm. william veenhuizen long-time resident of fairwood area , born in farm moved schoolhouse. school has since been turned apartments.

elliot dairy farm, 1920

the aqua barn ranch, large white, 2 story farmhouse green shutters, 1 of oldest structures in fairwood. in 1894 samuel , mary denny bought 40 acres of become aqua barn ranch. samuel cousin of arthur denny, 1 of seattle s founders. wife, mary, youngest daughter of carson boren, seattle pioneer. built small farmhouse on property , in 1889 sold lars , sine hansen. albert hansen, son of lars , sine, , wife, janette, moved house in 1916 , remodeled appears today. continued operate dairy until 1945 until daughter, mrs. helen flynn, , husband took on property in 1950s. turned 60 acres of land , buildings rural recreation center still in operation today. madsen farm, close hansen property, housed first post office in area near elliott train stop. aqua barn , elliot farm buildings remain standing along maple valley highway, reminders of days.

benson highway, 1 of major roads in fairwood area, named after john h. benson. in 1906 john , elmer, brother, bought several tracts of land in area platted spring glen acre tracts. moved old homestead on elmer s property until john able build four-bedroom home on piece of land. access property on old trail slowed them down began ways build road. built temporary road not passable in winter , situation other settlers of spring glen area faced until 1913 when first portion of benson road built. section 2 miles long , connected farm renton. other sections of road added on several decades until john f. benson road reached renton city limits city limits of kent. east of benson there farming, along cedar river along jones road (named after ed jones; original ranch known cook livestock farm), horse ranching, , coal mine fairwood greens located.

on east side of fairwood, art foss s parents settled along shadow lake in 1927. opened small resort cabins , restaurant on lake. spring lake, once known otter lake, visited seattle fishermen traveled coal train valley , hiked hill , rented rowboats slusser family. swan lake, known lake youngs, used local residents place swim, picnic , fish. today lake youngs in seattle watershed , off limits public. seattle water district has 2 pipelines, developed in 1900s, run cedar river @ landsburg through lake youngs.

the fairwood , cascade area had many coal mines. lake youngs coal mine located petrovitsky park today. fire king mine located near known today fairwood greens. when fairwood greens developed in 1970s, many coal mining shafts found , subsequently filled. few miles west of library on 116th se near cascade shopping center, there starkovitch coal mine started in 1938 father of john starkovitch. martina, john s wife, indicates , husband operated mine until 1950 when had shut down due water filling mine shafts. frank plant operated mine near talbot road , mine named springbrook mine west of cascade vista area. wilson mine located west of benson highway near site of summerhill apartments.

the area recognized today developed in 1950s , 1960s. cascade vista began developed homes in 1957 , cascade shopping center in 1959. modern commercial development @ intersection of benson , petrovitsky started in earnest in 1959. fairwood greens golf course completed in 1967 , major housing projects @ fairwood greens, fairwood west , fairwood crest began in 1968. since time area surrounding fairwood library has developed rapidly many new housing projects along 140th se , along petrovitsky. spring glen elementary built in 1953 , of other schools in area constructed 1962 (cascade elementary) through 1971 (kentridge high school in 1968; lindbergh high school didn t open until 1973 due lack of students). in spite of rapid development , influx of cars , people, can still find reminders of how things may have been: horse farms, small sheep ranches, many winding rural roads smaller old homes, lakes , ponds, , large tracts of undeveloped second growth forest.