Celebrate the Pre-History of Lake Forest Park October 19, 2025 at Third Place Commons

By Sally Yamasaki

For two years David Buerge has researched and been writing the history of the area of what we now know as Lake Forest Park. Buerge will be discussing his manuscript, Sunday October 19, 2025 from 5:00 - 6:30pm at Third Place Commons in Lake Forest Park Town Center, intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way NE.

Below is an excerpt of an article written by David Buerge about Lake Forest Park in a Post Alley article, August 31, 2024.

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Evidence of ancient settlement survives in Lake Forest Park north of Seattle on the northwest shore of Lake Washington. 

For the last year I have researched the area while writing this small city’s long prehistory. Its revelations are deep and abiding.

Humans have lived in western Washington for at least 14,000 years, from the Ice Age to the present. We know them from 19th century tribal names: Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Tulalip, etc. 

Today, the issues of fishing rights and casinos make headlines, but the tribes’ profound antiquity and management of the environment is less well known.

To start with the geography. Two creeks pass through Lake Forest Park: McAleer Creek draining Lake Ballinger and Lyon Creek headwatering in south Snohomish County. An 1859 township map shows them joined a half mile above the lake shore; later maps show them separate. 

Map of Lake Forest Park and surrounding area
Copyright David Buerge.

A single village on each salmon creek operated a fishing weir upstream. Villages intermarried with others to withstand hardship, as when a creek’s fish run failed.

In the early 20th century, native memory recalled place names associated with creeks. In the native Lushootseed language, Lake Ballinger was SAH tsu,“Face.” The mouth of McAleer Creek was SAH tsu tseed, “Mouth of the face.” 

Lyon Creek was Sts KUL, “a certain small bird,” probably Schuh chul, the winter wren Troglodytes, a small forest bird whose tinkling voice peacocks into bejeweled song.

Lake Ballinger’ bathymetry reveals an avalanche deposit that left a “face,” (as we describe bared slopes as faces) on the west shore. 

The lake was dangerous, but SAH tsu tseed, “Mouth of the Face,” conjures a greater surreal image of its ambivalence: breathing spawning salmon in to their deaths and breathing out fry to begin their anadromous odyssey at sea.

Come celebrate the completion of Buerge’s manuscript. The event is free and light refreshments will be served.