2026 Find of the Month Archive
Fremont Troll
The Fremont Arts Council applied for a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant in 1989 for a project they called "Hall of Giants" to create a sculptural environment in the view corridor underneath the north end of the Aurora Bridge, an area full of garbage and old mattresses. Their goal was to clean up "a badly littered neighborhood eye-sore and nose-sore" and construct a focal point for community pride. The council proposed a design competition from which finalists would be chosen for neighborhood residents to vote on, with the goal of "creating a tangible piece of art which will hopefully out live us all."
At this time, Fremont was a low to moderate income neighborhood known for its community of artists and its creative ethic. Previous Fremont Arts Council projects included the "Waiting for the Interurban" statue and the blue and orange paint job on the Fremont Bridge. The Hall of Giants proposal was the second phase in the creation of a park near the Aurora Bridge.
Forty proposals were received from artists across the country. Of these, four designs were made into models to be voted on by Fremont residents: an arrangement of living room furniture; an abstract piece using garbage to portray the importance of recycling; four stone musicians on a concert stage, and a troll clutching a Volkswagen. Voting took place at the Fremont Fair in June 1990 and continued through mid-July at locations including the Fremont library.
On July 19, the Fremont Troll was announced as the winning design. Comments from voters included, "Very creative and in the spirit of Fremont," "A bit of whimsy would do everyone some good, besides trolls need homes too," and "It's got a certain Fremontian character to it." Another commenter simply said, "Nice nose."
September 29, 1990, was declared to be Troll Day, with a party to dedicate the site. A poster promised "Music! Food! Dirt! Fun! Shovels! Statistics!" while a press release advertised a troll cake and children's art contest. Organizers reported to the Department of Neighborhoods that the day was a success, with lots of community involvement and media coverage. Neighbors were stopping by every day to check on the troll's progress and take photos; the report noted that "the Arts Council's intent to create a focal point in the neighborhood that helps create a sense of place seems to be working already." With the help of community volunteers, the troll was completed later that year.
Trespassers in the watershed
A folder in the Water Department Central Files documents incidents of trespassing in the Cedar River Watershed between 1955 and 1964. The watershed supplies drinking water to the greater Seattle area and also is a major source for downstream rivers, supporting salmon and other species. To protect the water and the land, the City restricts public access and patrols the boundaries.
Hunting was a major driver of illegal trespassing on watershed land in this period, with the number of incidents dropping off dramatically when hunting season ended. A supervisor wrote, "Watershed sanitation is a year-round job, but the hunting season continues to be the worst period as far as trespass is concerned."
A 1963 memo details an incident that began when a forester called a patrolman to alert him to blood on a bridge parapet and deer entrails in the creek below. The patrolman called in reinforcements and they followed bloodstains on the road to determine which way the trespasser went. A gate guard pointed out a car parked nearby which, when inspected, had animal hair on the bumper. The patrol waited until the man returned to his car, at which point the Game Protector, "using a little backwoods psychology, approached the man and said, 'Well, I guess you know why I'm here.' Whereupon Mr. Forrest admitted the violations."
Others came onto the land to fish, pick mushrooms, or simply to sightsee or take a shortcut. In a 1955 incident, three vehicles were stopped in the watershed. A report notes that the driver of the lead car said his name was Bob Lind, but was discovered to actually be named Walter Roundtree when he was asked for his driver's license. Roundtree had gotten in with an illegal key, "which he said was given to him by a fellow in Kent about three years previously."
Juveniles were among the trespassers, some there to hunt or fish and others seemingly just looking around. One boy, Allen Rice of Seattle, said he was looking for a ghost town. They were usually given a warning on a promise not to trespass again. Richard Dierst of Renton gave his age as 18 when he was arrested for hunting in the watershed, although when he was discovered later to be a minor, his case was dismissed and "he subsequently came in [to see the Sanitary Engineer] with his Mother."
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