Seattle City Council names street for Fremont Troll on August 1, 2005.

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On August 1, 2005, the Seattle City Council approves renaming a two-block stretch of street in honor of the Fremont Troll sculpture that graces its north end. Mayor Greg Nickels (b. 1955) says that the name change "honors one of our most famous citizens" ("Street May Be Rechristened..."). The change is estimated to cost $310, and will be paid for by the Fremont Neighborhood Council.

The short street, previously known as Aurora Avenue N, runs directly under the Aurora Bridge. Council member Dick Selin said the main reason for the name change was to stop confusion between the bridge and the street under it.

The sculpture, described by The Seattle Times as a "Volkswagen-clutching denizen that lives under the Aurora Bridge," was commissioned in 1989 by the Fremont Arts Council to "do something more imaginative with the space ... than letting it turn into an urban grotto and tire dump" ("Urban Myths"). Community members voted on models created by five finalists. The Troll created by a team led by sculptor Steve Badanes was the overwhelming favorite. The sculpture, completed in seven weeks, is made from rebar steel, wire and two tons of ferroconcrete.

Sources:
"Street May Be Rechristened for Fremont Troll," The Seattle Times, July 9, 2005 (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com); "Street Will Be Renamed for Fremont Troll," Ibid., August 2, 2005 (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com); "Urban Myths: The Fremont Troll," Fremont Chamber of Commerce website accessed May 29, 2006 (http://www.fremontseattle.com/myths/trolledit.htm); "The Fremont Troll," historical marker at sculpture, 1990.

By Charles Hamilton, May 30, 2006

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Fremont Troll (Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead, 1990) under Aurora Bridge, Seattle, 1990
Photo by James G. Dana

Street sign for Troll Avenue N, Seattle, May 20, 2006
Photo by James G. Dana