Lake Sammamish Had its Own Ferry

For much of the second half of the 19th century, Lake Sammamish was the main route of transporting people and goods to Seattle from the valley area. As early as 1864, the first coal mined in the (later to be named Issaquah) valley was sent to Seattle by canoe. Early boats — like the Mud Hen and Jennie June — made the trip through the lake, north through the slough and west across Lake Washington.

The most well-known boat, a propeller-driven scow named Squak, transported passengers and freight between the valley and Seattle for almost 10 years during the 1880s. Brunk’s Landing, located in the cove just west of today’s state park, became the major dock used by the farmers of Squak. Much of the land that is now the park was low and marshy, calling for a raised road going through today’s ballfield area.

The coming of the train to Squak (later know as Gilman and Olney, then Issaquah) in 1888 was a turning point, ending the importance of boat and lake transportation.

Source: Richard Benson’s history of the Lake Sammamish State Park