Opinion
Photo illustration by Harland Eastwood
This photo illustration shows an artist's conception of a DC-4 airplane just before it crashed into a neighborhood on a snowy night in November, 1955, killing 28 of the 74 passengers aboard. The original photo was taken by Merrill Kleinmann, who also lived near the site.
Boulevard Park plane crash in 1955 is recalled
Editor’s note: Harland Eastwood substitutes for Jerry Robinson this week.
By Harland Eastwood
SPECIAL TO THE HIGHLINE TIMES
During the afternoon of November 17, 1955, a heavy, wet snow started to fall all over the Seattle area. The snow continued throughout the evening and ended around 11 p.m. During that time perhaps 5 or 6 inches of snow had accumulated, making driving difficult.
I do not recall just when I became aware of the plane crash and resulting fire, but it was very shortly after the accident had occurred. I do remember hearing lots of sirens on police cars and ambulances that were going by our house shortly after midnight. My dad had heard them too, and was up and looking out our front room window.
More ›LETTER: Seahurst resident shares history of post office
I was delighted to read the article on the Seahurst Post Office in the Highline Times and would like to add little history about the Seahurst Post Office.
The original building for the Seahurst Post Office had been built on the west side of 21st Ave. S.W., almost directly across from the original sanctuary of St. Francis of Assisi. The Seattle to Burien trolley, “Toonerville Trolley” some folks called it, turned from 152nd onto 21st and ended at about 153rd in a turnaround – the end of the line.
The post office was a small, wooden building catering to the mostly rural route folks and did not have boxes with keys as post offices have today. There weren’t a lot of well-maintained roads so even mailboxes had rural route addresses.
My grandparent’s address was: Henry and Amy Grant, Rural Route 2, Seattle. Eventually they had a street address, but their mailbox with that address stood alongside other boxes on 152nd and 24th SW until the 1960’s. All of our mail was addressed %Martin family, General Delivery, Seahurst, Wash, or just plain Martin Family, Seahurst, Wash. I have actually been a patron since I was 4.
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Photo by Eric Mathison
SeaTac’s Julia Patterson particpates in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Angle Lake light-rail station. Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl is on her left.
Problems remain, but Patterson was proud to serve
SeaTac’s Julia Patterson has been a major force in Highline and South King County as an elected official on the municipal, state and county levels for almost a quarter of a century.
King County Council vice chair Patterson announced on April 26 that she is will not seek re-election to the county council.
She was a founding member of the SeaTac City Council when the city incorporated in 1989. Patterson was then appointed to the state Legislature where she served in both the House and Senate for nearly a decade.
She left the Legislature in 2001 to join the King County Council and was re-elected in 2005 and 2009.
In an interview last week, Patterson told me she is proud of her accomplishments at all three governmental levels.
But Patterson admits there is at least one area where she wishes she had been more successful.
“I am sad that we are without a dedicated, adequate long-term source for human services,” Patterson said. “I won’t see that day but I have faith that day will come.
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