Curiously Wonderful Local Facts
Strange and Fascinating Facts about Seattle Southside
Seattle Southside may seem like an ordinary region on the outside, but scratch the surface a little and you'll find some bizarre, fascinating, and truly delightful facts about our neck of the woods.
From close encounters of the third kind to a giant sloth found under the airport to Cold War-era missile launch sites converted to dog parks, Seattle Southside is an area full of curiously wonderful history.
A Giant Sloth Was Uncovered Under the Airport
Let's kick things off with a trip back in time—way, way back, 12,600 years ago, to a time when giants roamed the earth, including a giant sloth that was found right in SeaTac. We may think of sloths as cute, cuddly creatures that climb trees, but the ground-dwelling Megalonyx that used to roam our region was about 10 feet long and weighed roughly 2,200 pounds.
How do we know this giant used to roam our neck of the woods? During the expansion of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 1961, workers uncovered a well-preserved fossilized skeleton of a Megalonyx as they were digging a new runway. Today, you can see a replica of the creature at the Highline Heritage Museum and see just how massive it was.
While you're at the museum, check out the other exhibits featuring local history and art. You also might want to keep your eyes and ears open—rumor has it that the building might be haunted. In 2022, members of Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma (AGHOST) investigated the scene, reports the local B-Town Blog. One member said she felt a tap on her shoulder, while another felt something like a cold hand caress her face.
Des Moines is the Sixgill Shark Capital of the World
The beach town of Des Moines, Washington, has earned the nickname “Sixgill Shark Capital of the World” thanks to the rare opportunity it offers divers to encounter the elusive Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus). At Redondo Beach, the unique underwater terrain and depth bring these normally deep-sea predators closer to shore than almost anywhere else on Earth. Local divers have documented consistent seasonal sightings from late spring through early fall, making Des Moines a global hotspot for researchers and adventurous SCUBA divers. With six gill slits instead of the usual five, and a lineage dating back millions of years, these massive sharks—growing up to 18 feet long—are often described as living fossils of the ocean. Don't worry: they're not considered dangerous to people!
One of the First European Settlements in the PNW is at a Golf Course
Joseph and Stephen Foster established one of the first European settlements along the Duwamish River in 1852, a site that would later become Foster Links Golf Course. After traveling to Washington from Wisconsin with an ox team, Joseph Foster settled in the area. He later served as an early Washington Territorial legislator and the first superintendent of schools (hence Foster High School). You can still find a plaque commemorating the site of Foster’s original homestead on Tukwila’s oldest maple tree at Foster Golf Links.
The "Men in Black" Legend Started Here
In June of 1947, weeks before the infamous Roswell incident, Fred Crisman and Harold Dahl had a close encounter off the shores of Des Moines. Allegedly, a group of UFOs rained down a metallic substance on their boat, injuring one and killing Dahl’s beloved dog! In the days following the encounter, a mysterious man in black made contact with Dahl and threatened him not to tell anyone of the incident or “bad things would happen”. The shockwaves from these otherworldly events are still felt today.
Years later, local filmmakers would recreate the encounter in the 2014 short film The Maury Island Incident. Every year, two different celebrations mark our local connection to the out-of-this-world: in Burien, the local community gathers to celebrate the otherworldly and watch the short film at the Burien UFO Festival, and in Des Moines, the Men In Black Birthday Bash marks the anniversary of that first ever sighting of a mysterious man in black. Even outside of these annual events, there's a touch of the alien always present thanks to the Maury Island Incident Mural and the nearby sculpture "Raven Discovers Spaceship", but we'll talk more about outdoor art later.
Grandview Off-Leash Dog Park Used to be a NIKE Missile Launch Site
With all the happy dogs frolicking around at Grandview Off-Leash Dog Park nowadays, you’d never know that the location used to house a Cold War-era missile defense system. The Nike Project came about in the late 1940s as a defense system against hypothetical incoming Soviet bombers. Nearly a dozen Nike Missile sites were established in Washington state in the 40s and 50s, and one such site is just off Military Road. Since the Nike project fell out of use in the 60s and 70s, most of the sites fell into disrepair and were forgotten about. The launch magazine off Military Road was covered in soil and is now part of the Grandview Off-Leash Dog Park!
And speaking of Military Road, that stretch of roadway has a long and storied history of its own. Take a minute to think about the history of the site the next time you let Fido run wild at Grandview. This spot is a part of our Scenes program highlighting local history, culture, and art. Learn more about the history of this site and the other stops along the Scenes trail.
There's a Famous Pet Cemetery
Seattle-Tacoma Pet Cemetery, along historic Military Road, might appear fairly mundane to those unfamiliar with its history. This little cemetery is a recent addition to the list of King County Historic Landmarks, thanks to its being the final resting place not just for beloved pets, but for decorated police K-9 units, and even celebrity animals. Little Tyke, a lioness who was a vegetarian, is buried here, as is a goat that served as a mascot in the 1960 presidential campaign. This unique site is also home to lots of interesting art and is definitely worth a visit.
The Masonic Grand Lodge of Washington
When you see the historic Masonic Grand Lodge of Washington for the first time, the sprawling complex might just take your breath away. Built by the Freemasons in the 1920s as a retirement center, the building resembles the forever haunted mansion in Stephen King’s Rose Red, so it may not come as a surprise that the building is famously haunted. A rumored former Grand Master of the lodge named George allegedly roams the halls in a full tuxedo. Although multiple Georges are pictured outside of the Grand Hall, it is unknown which George this ghost might be. The building was vacant for years but was purchased by an area investment group. However, the plans for the facility are still being determined. As for what George will do if the site is demolished? Only time will tell.
One of the Greatest Unsolved Mysteries, D.B. Cooper, Began Here
The City of Tukwila is Named After Hazelnuts
Tukwila, one of the cities in Seattle Southside, has a rich cultural history that began thousands of years before European settlers arrived in the region. Its earliest residents were the Coast Salish people, who made their homes along the banks of Black, Green, and Duwamish rivers. At that time, the region was filled with lush forests of hazelnut trees. Eventually, these communities began to call the region Tukwila, Chinook jargon for the Duwamish word for hazelnut. They thrived in the area, fishing in the rivers, foraging for wild berries, and navigating the rivers to trade with other nearby peoples.
Sources: Experience Tukwila and the City of Tukwila.
Legendary Artist Bruce Bickford Lived & Worked in SeaTac
Bruce Bickford is a legend among animation enthusiasts. Born in Seattle in 1947, Bickford has lived his life almost exclusively in SeaTac, Washington. He began his animation career as a teen, animating clay figures, driving model cars, before graduating high school and enlisting in the Marines. After serving in the Marines for three years, including eleven months in Vietnam, Bruce returned home and got right back into animation, producing a few short films.
In 1973, Bickford was introduced to legendary musician Frank Zappa. The two collaborated on multiple musical films, including Baby Snakes and The Amazing Mister Bickford. Since that time, Bickford has continued to produce striking images in films and shorts, using claymation, stop-motion, and line animation, working mostly out of his garage in SeaTac.
You can now see one of Bickford's pieces - an elaborate miniature display of the fictional town of Twin Peaks - permanently on display at the Highline Heritage Museum.
The Area is Full of Unusual Art
Seattle Southside is home to lots of incredible sights, but one of the most unexpected things we have is a collection of unusual outdoor art. There's nowhere else in the world you can see a sculpture of a man kissing a fish that was supposedly once his girlfriend, a mural depicting that UFO incident we mentioned earlier, and a gigantic piece of art that was once nothing more than industrial waste. And there's so much more to find, from utility box art to sculptures scattered across the city of Des Moines all the way to beautiful installations celebrating native stories in our parks.
Robert Morris Earthwork
If you were to stumble upon the Robert Morris Earthwork in SeaTac, a 4-acre stretch of land where concentric circles of grassy earth descend into the hillside, you might think you were looking at an ancient amphitheater lost to time. In fact, the site is one of the world’s most prominent examples of land reclamation as art. Before 1979, the area had been a gravel pit used as a dumping ground for industrial waste. The organization 4Culture (formerly the King County Arts Commission) led an effort to transform this blight on the landscape into a moving work of public art. They commissioned the artist Robert Morris, who carved the land into descending concentric slopes and terraces in the shape of an amphitheater. The effect is a peaceful, thought-provoking space where the public can enjoy views of the Kent Valley and Mt Rainier. Morris also left a subtle but somber reminder of the site’s past: a row of blackened tree stumps, which he calls a “ghost forest”, that challenges visitors to consider the consequences of unchecked destruction. Today, Johnson Pit #30, as it is formally known, is recognized and studied worldwide by scholars, urban planners, curators, and art enthusiasts worldwide. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in October, 2021.
Lightning Round: Did You Know...?
Finally, there's a ton of little factoids that are just fun about our region, for example did you know that:
- ...Nintendo's Super Mario was named after a local real estate developer from Tukwila?
- ...the first ever documented Pickleball tournament was held in Tukwila in 1976?
- ...we're home to the 2nd largest DoubleTree in the world?
- ...Zenith Holland is oldest operating business in Des Moines at over 100+ years old?
- ...The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world?
- ...the Pacific Bonsai Museum is one of only two bonsai museums in the US?
- ...the Seattle Southside Scenes program has tons of local history and facts like in this blog, including the story of the "Good Bootlegger"?
- ...Seattle Southside is home to the two-time Major League Rugby champion Seattle Seawolves?
Seattle Southside History: Des Moines Beach Park
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