Rizal Park (Seattle)

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Dr. Jose Rizal Park is perched on the northern crest of Beacon Hill and honors the Filipino intellectual and nationalist who was unjustly martyred in 1896. The dedication of the park also recognizes the Filipinos who migrated to Seattle beginning in 1900.

In the 1910s, Seattle embarked on a series of public works projects to reduce the grades on Dearborn and Jackson Streets north of Beacon Hill. These excavations left that side of the hill unstable and in 1917, the city condemned property for retaining walls, terracing, drains, and parks. By 1919, the city felt it had taken too much property and the city engineer allowed the platting of the Golf Heights Addition subdivision out of the park areas. Streets conformed to the new contours of the hillside.

In 1928, the city council donated 12 acres of the property for a U.S. Marine Hospital (later U.S. Public Health Service Hospital), which was completed in 1934.

In 1971, undeveloped property was turned over to the Parks Department when it was determined that the original 1917 ordinance providing for parks took precedence over the 1919 plan for development. The Parks Department constructed a parking area and viewpoint along 12th Avenue S. This was quickly taken over by patrons of the Public Health Service Hospital and traffic became a problem.

A Patriot Remembered

In 1899, after the Spanish-American War, the United States took possession of the Philippine Islands from Spain. Filipinos began moving to the U.S. for economic opportunities. In Seattle, they endured racial discrimination along with other Asians and African Americans. Many Filipinos found work in the fish canneries of the Northwest and Alaska.

In 1973, the Filipino Alumni Association petitioned the city to honor the hero of Philippine independence, Dr. Jose Rizal (1861-1896). Rizal was born a subject of Spain and was educated as a physician in the Philippines and Europe. He wrote two novels that criticized Spanish rule of the Philippines. He also published work showing the history of the Philippines prior to subjugation by Spain. His advocacy for Philippine independence resulted in his execution by Spanish authorities in 1896.

The Beacon Hill park was named after Dr. Rizal in 1974. It was formally dedicated in 1979. Rizal Park features a play area, picnic tables, woods, and panoramic views of Seattle, the Olympics, Puget Sound, and the Cascades.

Sources:
Don Sherwood, "Rizal Park," Interpretive Essays on the History of Seattle Parks, Handwritten bound manuscript dated 1977, Seattle Room, Seattle Public Library.

By David Wilma, April 05, 2001

This file made possible by:
The SCHOONER Project:
The Hon. Jan Drago
Seattle City Council
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Dr. Jose Rizal (1861-1896), ca. 1895
Courtesy Fred Pearson

Memorial to Dr. Jose Rizal in Rizal Park, Beacon Hill, Seattle, 2001
Photo by David Wilma