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Georgetown has been nicknamed "A
Community of Firsts" because it was home to a number of key events and
developments which were important to the growth and history of King
County.
First
Settlement
Luther and Diana Collins and their children Lucinda and Stephen,
along with Jacob Mapel, Samuel Mapel and Henry Van Asselt, filed land
claims totaling over 1,100 acres near the mouth of the Duwamish River
in June 1851. They moved onto the property in September 1851, two
months before the arrival of the Denny party at Alki on November 13th.
First
ferry
The main road from Seattle to Tacoma crossed the Duwamish River beside
Luther Collins' farm house. He established a ferry system to
allow people to cross the river safely with their belongings, livestock
and supplies
First
fort
in 1855, problems arose between the Native Americans and the settlers,
and the settlers feared for their safety. Luther Collins donated
one acre of land to build a blockhouse so that the settler could have
protection in case of an attack. The blockhouse was called Fort
Duwamish and was located just west of the present Georgetown Steam
plant Museum.
First
agricultural crop
On his exploration trip to the Duwamish Valley in June 1851, Luther
Collins realized he had found a perfect place to farm. Before he
left his land claim to pick up his family and their belongings, he
planted some potato seeds as well as young fruit trees. By
November, Collins' potato crop was ready to harvest for the
winter. The Collins shared their potato crop with the sick and
hungry Denny Party when they arrived at Alki Beach. The next year
Collins harvested over 300 bushels of peaches and had a nursery of over
1,000 thriving fruit trees.
First
oval horse race track for thoroughbreds
The "Seattle Course" was build in 1869 on 45 acres of land leased from
on of the original settlers, Diana Collins. The seven-furlong
dirt track was built by saloon-owner John Pinnell. For the first
several years the race tack's operation, his horse "Tom Merry" was the
favorite to win.
First
airplane flight
in 1910, famous aeronaut Charles Hamilton delighted hundreds of
thrill-seekers at the Meadows Race Track with four exhibition flights
in his Curtiss bi-plane. On his fourth flight, the wheel of his
plane struck the surface of the pond in the middle of the track and
flipped the plane over. Hamilton was unhurt, but his plane needed
repairs. He returned the next day for more flights.
First
motorcycle race
On August 12, 1904, the Meadows Race Track hosted the first motorcycle
race in King County, featuring three Indian motorcycles and one
home-made contraption. There were few entries to the race because
the track had very sharp curves since it was mainly built for
horse racing.
First
twins
When his wife Elizabeth was about to give birth, John Wesley Maple had
a dream there would be twins. Sure enough, twin daughters - Dora and
Cora - were born weighing only a little over two pounds each. The local
Native American people came to see the babies and have the parents fish
oil to rub on their tiny bodies for nourishment.
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