Ravenna Park Walking Tour

Our local neighborhood organization, Friends of Ravenna Cowen (FORC), dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the Ravenna-Cowen National Historic District, held its fourth walking tour on Saturday, October 7, 2023. This tour focused on the Ravenna Park, the beautiful park that is adjacent to and south of the District. This park was a private destination park reached by streetcar between 1895 and 1911, before it was acquired by the City. I authored the tour and led one of the two groups through the park describing how the park appeared in 1909, the year of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, and subsequent changes over the years. I was assisted by board member and wife, Lani Johnson, as well as volunteer Dante Moreno. Board member Francesca Renouard and her husband Steven Pool led the second group, assisted by Dr. Lewis Johnson. Research on the park's history took several months and revealed the location and fate of the once majestic three hundred feet tall fir trees that were found within the park. Master Birder and naturalist Wood Wheeler also gave a presentation on the park's natural history.

The tour guide, as well as previous tours, can be downloaded from FORC's website here.

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