Comet Lodge documents

After noticing that the old houses at 616 Lucile are slated for demolition, the address came in a search i did, turning up in a series of FOIA documents about the Comet Lodge Cemetery, concerning the dispute over the Comet Lodge site throughout the last 100 years. The disputes arises out of ownership and development rights; from the main web page:

City of Seattle's Mayor Nickels and King County Executive Ron Sims have denied the existence of the historic Comet Lodge Cemetery. They have converted it to a dogs run free park. These requests for information will document the past and continuing desecrations. Ancestors and neighbors are invited to submit information.

An example of one of the obscure documents:

January 25, 1959 letter to the Board of King County Commissioners

Dear Sirs:

We are writing you regarding an abandoned cemetery on Beacon Hill which for years has been a serious problem. There has been no burials there for many years and many which have been buried there have been removed to Cemeteries with Endowed Care.

That you may know who we are and why the interest in this Cemetery as well as our reason to discuss the matter with your Board, we would like for you to know a little of the earlier history of this property. First, we are a committee appointed by the Grand Lodge of Washington and Alaska for the purpose of assisting any Lodge in this jurisdiction in the operation of their cemeteries, to work with the Washington State Board of Cemeteries, especially endowed care property, in the investment and protection of these funds.

Each member of this Board are thoroughly experienced in the operation of cemeteries and you will find attached a list of these members and we invite the investigation of any or all of these men. We also want it thoroughly understood that we in no way assume any liability for the care of this property but are merely offering assistance in clearing up this matter and ask for the cooperation of your board and the City of Seattle.

This cemetery was originally started by the now Defunct Comet Odd Fellows lodge #139 shortly after 1900. There have not been many burials there in the past forty five years. The whole area is covered by trees and undergrowth. Most markers are misplaced or lost entirely. Those, including City and County officials who in past years have endeavored to find a solution to this problem have given up, considering it too big a problem.

We have given this matter considerable study and have obtained much information and now believe we have the proper solution. The bodies that are buried there would be removed to endowed care property with a suitable memorial listing all names and dates. We feel the cost of this could be recovered by the sale of this property after the removals, clearing and leveling are complete. In order to do this we must be able to clear title which has apparently been complicated by efforts of the City and County to take possession of it in the past.

We would like to meet with you and discuss further, this whole matter. Some of the older county employee's could also give you additional information. If possible a late afternoon appointment would be preferable to us.

We sincerely thank you for the consideration of this matter.

Respectfully, Robert J. Taylor
Members of the Grand Lodge Odd Fellows Cemetery Endowment Care

More here:

Prior to 1881, this graveyard was used by the Duwamish Nation. Burials from the tribal roll occured while the Nation was supervised by the Federal Port Madison authority and continued into the 1900's. The granted land encompassing the Old Burial Grounds as it was called, was then sold to the Maple family. The Maples were among the first settlers to arrive by boat at Alki beach. The boat was guided by John Low, who returned for his family and the others after building a cabin in what is now Seattle.

And Moreover:

A letter from the Director of the Department of Construction and Land Use, Rick Krochalis, to Mayor Norm Rice and John Dickinson is very emphatic with its ukase. "There is no graveyard on Beacon Hill!" The Mayor's office during Rice and Schell's term continued their denial of the existence of the cemetery until Executive Ron Sims converted it to a dogs run free neighborhood park with decorative tombstones.

Here's the link to the letter:

The Department of Construction and Land Use [now DPD--ed.] did not, and does not, have any basis for concluding that the properties you have referred to have ever been used for burial purposes. In granting permits for development, the City does not give assurances as to the title, history or conditions of a piece of property. If the owners feel that the nature of the property was misrepresented to them in some material way, this is a private matter that they must take up with the sellers of the property. If you, or any of these owners, believe they have a legitimate claim against the City, that claim must be submitted to the City Attorney's office.


(In the collection of documents, this is where the address comes up:

The family of Lorenzo Brewer remains civicly interested, as was the intervening generation and I believe in the same home as in 1908, and Lawrenzo W. Brewer at 616 Lucile St may have or has knowledge of any records of Comet Lodge...

In 1979.)

Here's a list of burials here.