The area is 300 acres. 150 of it is forest and park. It is a fairly diverse community. some things that people like to do there are hike, sail and spend time in nature.

the first people there were the Dkhwduwahbsh (or duamish) people. They spoke the language lushootseed and it is believed that they were living in the area for over 4000 years before the English got there. They lived in longhouses of 25 or so people and and they had a very strong community with the neighboring tribes because they usually married outside of their village to keep peace between tribes. They called the area forbidden place (hah- hao-hlch).


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The very first euro-american to 'discover' Seward Park was Issac Ebey in 1850. He didn't stay there though, making the real first euro-american settlers Edward A. Clark who went on to found Snohomish and John Harvey who was a teacher in 1852. They were farmers and they formed a small community there of loggers, orchard tenders, and farmers, but they moved to be closer to Puget sound because it was more accessible and safer. In 1890 William E. Bailey bought the park from David Graham for $26,000. Changing the name from Graham Park to Bailey Peninsula.

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The peninsula was hard to get to because of the forest so at first the city wasn't open to buying the land. In 1891 an electric trolley was put in that opened southeast seattle to development but it still wasnt enough transportation to make living there easy. Then, in 1917 the ship canal near Puget Sound was made. This lowered the water level in the lake by 9 feet and made it so the peninsula was more connected to the mainland. This way cars could access the park and, in 1919 when boat docs were put in the bay became a popular boating destination. Once the park was accessable it was very good land and the city was more willing and ecxted to buy it

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The public school district #18 was formed in 1876 for the community of loggers that came to the area because a sawmill was built nearby. In 1903 the city of Seattle hire the Olmsted Brothers, who were the most well known landscapers in the country, to design a park system. The park was recognized as a key element in the planning so, in 1911 the city of Seattle bought the land for $322,000 from the Bailey family and named it Seward park after William H. Seward. In 1915 the whole community gathered in the park for a festival. thousands of people came and it was a really big deal for the development of the neighborhood.

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Today, the area is half white, A quarter African American and a quarter Asian and Pacific Islander. Around 80% of people are home owners and 31% of homes have kids. It is also a center of the orthodox jewish community in Seattle. Around 5,000 people live in Seward park and its is a fairly wealthy neighborhood.

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In conclusion, Seward park is a great place to visit if you want to spend a beautiful day in nature, check out some local businesses or learn a little more about the history of your city.