Two large events happened on this date in history on the sandy soil that would become Magnuson Park. First on this date back in 1924, 2 Douglas Air Cruisers landed on the Sand Point Airfield marking the end of their 30,000 mile journey around the planet. They were the first to circumnavigate the globe by air, and in record time, only 175 days. This event helped garner support to create the Sand Point Naval Airstation, which made King County really happy since they built the airstrip for purpose of selling it to the Navy in the first place.
The second great event that happened on this date, was in 1995, when the Navy after 68 years, declared what was left of the then called Sand Point Naval Station Puget Sound surplus, finishing what it had started in 1970. 300 acres were surplussed in 1970, including the airfield. In 1995, the remaining acreage was transferred to the City of Seattle for homeless housing and a dog park. The airfield ceased to be in the mid 70's, never mind its relevance to aviation history.
In honor of these two events here are some pictures taken in early April of 2000 of now Magnuson Park. The best thing about Magnuson besides its vastness is the art, included among tonight's photos are The Fin Project and Soundgarden. And couple chairs on sticks.
Enjoy
Dan
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