These tiles at Lynn Street street-end Mini Park were created by members of the Eastlake community with artist Maggie Smith sometimes around 2002. On Jan 22, 2023, local resident Nick Touran took photos of them and published them here because he thought they were awesome.
The story of Lynn Street park is on the back of the sign, which says:
Until 1971 this street-end was neglected and filled with Junk. Then grocer Pete Omalanz led volunteers in creating Seattle’s first street-end park. In 1976 it was rebuilt and rededicated amid grand festivities. In 1995, a driverless delivery truck rolled three blocks down lynn street, tore through the park and plunged into Lake Union.
The park was rebuilt in 2002. During the design process a community group obtained a city neighborhood matching fund grant, with which artist Maggie Smith led neighborhood volunteers in creating and installing tiles on the retaining walls, bench and sign. The "Walking Fish" design originated with a 1993 lakeside walking tour. The friends and family of Peg and Tom Stockley, longtime houseboaters and community leaders, donated the bench and its tile images.
Lynn Street Park is owned by the Seattle Department of Transportation, maintained by Seattle Parks & recreation and loved by the community. The tiles celebrate the people and history of this beloved park and the Eastlake neighborhood, and good times past and yet to come.