It was almost 100 years ago that Helen Denny willed her husband’s Lake Washington estate to the City of Seattle to become a public park named in memory of him, Orion O. Denny.
Maria Denny, the grandniece of Orion, thinks Helen would have been proud to see community residents serving up chili at a cook-off contest, children getting their face painted or just enjoying the view of the lake at the Denny Fest! event held Sunday at O.O. Denny Park in Kirkland’s annexation area.
“I see this as sort of another legacy, this vision that Helen had that we should even need to protect this land,” Denny said. “I think it’s amazing that even our earliest settlers had the foresight to protect it … What I find so special (now) is that people still want to love, enjoy and protect this park.”
The celebration saw the biggest turnout in the event’s history, approximately 200 people attended, said Francesca Lyman, member of the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance (DCNA).
The grassy park might have been a little muddy after morning showers, but it did not stop all ages from coming and hearing musical performances by Wynne C Blue & her Troublefakers, Natch’l Thang, or Finn Hill native Michael Ellyn Schetzle swinging to jazz tunes. Other events included a pie-eating contest, dog contest and parade.
Jeff Hoerth, former DCNA president, said there was no Denny Fest for three years because there was a lack of volunteers, but they revived it last year. As president the past four years, Hoerth was “determined not to let his last year pass without having the event.”
The Denny legacy
In remarks to the attendees, Denny spoke briefly about the history of Denny Park and the legacy of her family.
“I want to thank everyone here that has picked up that vision and is providing stewardship to preserve this special legacy for future generations,” said Denny, who lives in Seattle.
She told the crowd that the beginnings of the modern-day Seattle area started in 1851 when the Denny party landed on a rainy November day.
“When David Denny arrived on Sept. 25, 1851, he immediately sent a note to his big brother Arthur Denny who was awaiting word in Portland saying, ‘Come at once! There is room for 2000 settlers,’” Denny said.
Orion and his brother, Roland, grew up on the east side of Elliot Bay.
Orion later became a successful executive, working as chief engineer aboard the historic steamer Eliza Anderson and then became president of the Denny Clay Company, according to Maria Denny. He left an estate worth $450,000 when he died in 1916.
The property that Orion left behind was a 46-acre tract along Lake Washington. The centerpiece of that land was his estate called Klahanie, Chinook for “out of doors.”
“This is kind of out of the way, but for us it’s the jewel of the neighborhood,” said Scott Morris, the president of DCNA, before introducing Denny to the crowd of people gathered at Denny Fest.
Even after Orion died, his wife could not shake her connection with him. In 1919, Helen V. Denny married Leonard Wyeth, but divorced soon after. She went to court to change her name back to Helen Denny.
During its early years, O.O. Denny Park was a campground for Seattle children, according to Morris. Years later, maintenance of the park was handed over to the county.
In 2001, a $52 million general fund shortfall in the King County budget led to the closure of 20 parks countywide — including O.O. Denny Park. In 2002, nearby Finn Hill residents voted to manage the park themselves, under an agreement with the City of Seattle. The levy was re-passed in 2008, but Seattle still owns the property.
The District is managed by five unpaid commissioners, who are elected to four-year terms.
“In the summer, this place is like a small city,” said Rick Smith, commissioner of the Finn Hill Recreational District. “I’ve counted about 800 people at one time. I know there have been other hot days when there is more than that.”
