Hitt's Hill Park at 25: Saving the Highest Point in Rainier Valley

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Volunteers with Pro Parks Sign, November 5, 2003.

Photo Credit: Beliz Brother.

For over 50 years, the hill overlooking Rainier Valley was home to the Hitt Fireworks Company, whose fireworks illuminated displays at Green Lake and Ivar's Fourth of July celebrations and even appeared in the Oscar-winning film, Gone with the Wind  (1939). When the Hitt Fireworks Company ceased production in 1974, however, the future of the property became uncertain.

By 2000, development seemed inevitable. Powell Home Builders had purchased the 3.2-acre site and proposed building twenty-two high-end homes on the steep hillside. As Rainier Valley prepared for the arrival of the Link Light Rail and plans encouraged growth around future transit stations, many neighbors feared the wooded hillside would disappear beneath a dense housing development. Rather than accept that outcome, the community came together to protect the hill.

Dennis Fitzgerald, “Residents Seeking to Preserve Hitt’s Hill,”

The South District Journal, February 23, 2000.

A small group of residents formed Friends of Hitt's Hill, with neighbor Vicky Lee helping to spearhead the effort. They believed that the highest point in Rainier Valley should remain a place where both nature and neighbors could thrive. Their vision was simple but ambitious: to preserve the hill as a community park filled with native plants, trees, wildlife, and walking paths for the neighborhood to enjoy.

Cascade Land Conservancy, now known as Forterra, stepped in to help make preservation possible, securing an option agreement for the property and serving as the fiscal agent for its eventual transfer to Seattle Parks and Recreation. The community then faced the challenge of raising $985,000 to purchase the land and preserve Hitt’s Hill as an open space for the public.

What followed was a remarkable example of grassroots organizing.

Rainier Arts Center Committee Meeting, 2000-2001.

Photo Credit: Beliz Brother.

Neighbors knocked on doors, wrote fundraising letters, attended countless committee meetings, applied for grants, and rallied support throughout the community. Columbia City organizations quickly joined the effort. At the time, people living in the area had access to less than one-third of an acre of open space per 100 residents, making Hitt's Hill an increasingly valuable community resource. In September of 2000, the Columbia City Revitalization Committee endorsed the campaign, writing,

“As Rainier Valley has a significant share of school-age children, low-income families and new immigrants in Seattle, we see preservation as a great opportunity to help Columbia City grow with the amenities its people deserve.”

The campaign required more than enthusiasm; it required resources. Friends of Hitt's Hill worked alongside Cascade Land Conservancy, Seattle Parks and Recreation, King County, the City of Seattle, regional funding, and generous individual donors to raise the $985,000 needed to purchase the property before park restoration could begin. On June 1, 2001, their efforts paid off. The purchase was completed, and on September 8, 2001, neighbors gathered alongside Mayor Paul Schell to celebrate the preservation of Hitt's Hill as an open space to the public. What could have become another housing development instead became a neighborhood park.

Park Dedication with Mayor Schell, September 8, 2001.

Photo Credit: Beliz Brother.

But saving the land was only the beginning; volunteers rolled up their sleeves for years afterward. Caring for Hitt’s Hill became a community effort, bringing together neighborhood residents, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and EarthCorps. Through ongoing work parties, volunteers cleared invasive plants and debris, preserved the hill’s existing trees, planted native trees and shrubs, and helped restore the overgrown former industrial site while preserving its character as an urban green space. That community stewardship continues today, with EarthCorps and local volunteers continuing to care for and maintain the park.

Volunteers Needed Flyer, 2003.

Photo Credit: Beliz Brother.

City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, "Illustrative Site Plan,"

from Hitt’s Hill Park Vegetation Management Plan, June 2003.

Perhaps most remarkably, many of the people who helped make this vision a reality—including Vicky Lee, Beliz Brother, Bonnie Taylor, Todd Paul, Liz Ford, and Sally Clark (former Seattle City Council Chair)—remain connected to the neighborhood, while a new generation of neighbors has taken up the work of caring for Hitt’s Hill Park. Their commitment reminds us that communities are shaped not only by the places we inherit, but by the places we choose to protect.

Preparations Leading up to the Dedication of Hitt's Hill Park, 2001. 

Photo Credit: Beliz Brother.

Friends of Hitt's Hill carefully preserved the story of their work by donating meeting notes, photographs, flyers, correspondence, and planning documents to Rainier Valley Historical Society. These records document far more than the creation of a park; they tell the story of neighbors who believed they could make a difference and proved that they could.

Today, visitors walking beneath the trees are more likely to hear the chirping of birds than the crackle of fireworks. Hikers explore the trails where explosives were once manufactured, and native plants cover a hillside that could easily have become streets, driveways, and rooftops. This transformation did not happen by chance. It was made possible by neighbors who recognized the value of this place and came together through grassroots action to preserve it, allowing an overgrown former industrial site to blossom into the vibrant community park it is today.

Hitt's Hill Park, 2020.

Photo Credit: Mikala Woodward.

As Hitt's Hill Park celebrates its 25th anniversary, it stands as a reminder that community stewardship is one of the most powerful forces shaping the future of our neighborhoods. Parks, gardens, and community gathering places rarely appear on their own; they exist because ordinary people decide they are worth protecting. That sentiment remains just as relevant today. As Seattle continues to grow and new housing is built to accommodate more residents, preserving public green spaces becomes increasingly important. Hitt's Hill Park demonstrates that growth and conservation can coexist when communities come together to advocate for both.

To celebrate this remarkable milestone, Rainier Valley Historical Society invites the community to join us on Saturday, September 12, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, for a free celebration of the 25th anniversary of Hitt's Hill Park. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the park's remarkable transformation, explore its history through photographs and archival materials, and hear the story of the neighbors whose dedication helped preserve one of Rainier Valley's most treasured green spaces. Whether you've walked the trails for years or are discovering Hitt's Hill for the first time, we hope you'll join us in celebrating the community spirit that made this park possible!