History
In 1887, an aspiring Glass Walker named Guy C. Phinney purchased 342 acres of land along what is now Phinney Ridge and down the slope to Green Lake. On 180 acres, he constructed an elegant English-style estate, complete with formal gardens. He named it "Woodland Park." There was a conservatory, promenade, hunting lodge, the "Woodlands Hotel," and menagerie. The lands were open to the public as long as they observed the rules protecting the plant and animal life that was found there. Unfortunately in 1893 Phinney died leaving the estate unfinished. Over the next six years a small group of garou believing that protecting the land would be important created mounting pressure for the city to purchase the land. On December 28, 1899 the City counsel voted to perchance the land. During the first thirty years of the 20th century the park began to change into a true zoo, by expanding the number of pens and the amount of animals on site. The great depression brought improvements in the zoo to a halt until the WPA created government projects to help with improvements. Frustrated by the lack of city support, the Seattle Glass Walkers decided to take matters into their own hands by securing the position of Zoo director for Edward J. Johnson a Glass Walker Philodox. Under the new management the Park began to improve. Newer exhibits were built that better simulated the habitats of the animals, and the zoo began to take the shape that it has today.
