A Little Random Hi-Yu History

The fact that Kacey and the late Charlie Jung preserved a few mementos of their many years as active Hi-Yu devotees, sheds a little light on happy times in West Seattle. Twenty-five years ago, the West Seattle Herald, in it's 50th Anniversary edition, acknowledged that Hi-Yu had also been around for fifty years. In an article provided by Hi-Yu's then-president, Jack Hanning, the Herald's anniversary edition of Wednesday, June 20, 1973 preserved a few bits of local history. See an archive of Hi-Yu Buttons here.

Hanning wrote that in 1923, with World War 1, behind it, and the Great Depression seven years away, West Seattle was going through a period of rapid expansion. The business and professional community thought it rightful that they thank their clients, patients and customers appropriately for their patronage. What evolved was the first "All West Seattle Picnic." The story doesn't say where it was held, so we have to presume Lincoln Park was the site. In succeeding years, the event wore such titles as "Potlatch," and "Mardi Gras." Also unmentioned was the introduction of the name, "Hi-Yu." It is clear, however that the association of the picnic and the presently surviving summer festival was real enough to put Hi-Yu in its 75th year . . . a milestone, indeed! The picnic, despite a one-year revival by the West Seattle Kiwanis Club, succumbed to a combination of burgeoning red tape, mounting costs and disinterest and the years of fun and games which drew thousands to play games, enjoy entertainment and talent shows, the coronation and the drawing for a new car have faded into obscure history.

Looking back, it's interesting to note that the first "Pirates" to land at Alki Beach about 1934, were Sea Scouts of "Yankee Clipper" sponsored by the West Seattle Lions Club and skippered by Captain John Kelly. Even at the fiftieth celebration, the scouts, switching roles, manned their worthy craft to guard West Seattle from the real Seafair Pirates who annually invaded Alki to kick off Hi-Yu. The tradition has survived generally intact despite a few misunderstanding among the Pirates, Seafair and Hi-Yu leaders.

In the late 30's an event was added to the program of Hi-Yu which attracted world-wide acclaim, a "heel-and-toe" race, commencing at the West Seattle YMCA, circled Lake Washington. Breaking into anything resembling a trot or running gait disqualified a competitor. Athletes entered from "far and wide." In the same time frame, boxing and wrestling matches held at Hiawatha Play field also were popular. Still hooked on athleticism, the 1949 Picnic coincided with the official Northwest AAU swim meet at then new Colman Pool. It featured national-level swimming and diving championship events.

Clearly, during Hi-Yu's golden years, the wide ranging schedule of attractions didn't materialize out of thin air. Funding for inevitable expenses was always a problem. A succession of Carnivals pitched at the West end of West Seattle Stadium, was one source. Hi-Yu officials usually found that collecting their share of the "take" was an adventure in itself. Another source, was generous sponsorship of merchants, financial institutions, professionals, and service providers. One clipping from the Herald occupied a half page with listed sponsors.

The final major source was enrollment of individuals as Hi-Yu members. Each person who paid his or her dollar for such membership was simultaneously entered into a drawing for a new automobile furnished by one of the five local dealers. No one ever wondered out loud why there were approximately 10,000 Hi-Yu members. Three thousand of them showed up at Lincoln Park for the annual "Membership Meeting" featuring a one-item agenda . . . the drawing of the stub naming the winner of the car. A second stub was drawn for another valuable prize and kept secret until the next edition of the Herald . . . a sneaky way of preventing a snowstorm of discarded "membership cards." on the grounds of Lincoln Park following the drawing.

If you "became" a member of Hi-Yu, you got an official button, which most "members" wore to avoid aggressive, sellers from 20 to 30 clubs and organizations who competed for bragging rights as top sellers. The results were clarioned weekly, accompanied by torrents of good-natured banter between the competing forces. One communication in the Jung collection announced a lottery to "win" one of the 27 booths situated up and down California Avenue, at Alki and other strategic locations. Competition for the best times and places was lively.

In 1949 everyone in West Seattle was supposed to wear a red hat during then ten days of Hi-Yu. If you got caught without one you could get hauled before a "Kangaroo Kort" run by Speed Winquist and presided over by Superior Court Judge William Long.

Various events have been staged over the years by West Seattle groups depending on their interests. The West Seattle Sportsmen's Club began holding a popular Kids' Fishing Derby chaired then, and still by Lloyd Jeeter. This year's event is challenged by the decamping of the Boathouse concessionaire, restrictions on sports fishing and dwindling fish stocks. The Bayview Golf Club, led for years by John Sanders, sponsored an annual golf tournament. Names of community leaders appear repeatedly in stories among the clippings, usually, in their coincidental roles as members of service clubs and community organizations.

In 1950, under the leadership of President Don Waller, Hi-Yu reorganized and expanded to over a full week of activities and became an official partner of Seafair which included Hi-Yu in its schedule of events. With Seafair's official endorsement the Grande Parade included scores of floats and other entries which appeared in neighborhood parades in the surrounding Puget Sound area, as well as two Seafair Parades in downtown Seattle. The Seattle Police Drill Team and Ruby Chow's Chinese Girls Drill Team were always popular. During several subsequent years, Hi-Yu was coordinated by Ted Best, then Secretary of the West Seattle Commercial Club from Ted Best Associates. Presidents in that era included Dick Kennedy, John Kaufman, Arvid Andresen, among others. When Ted Best was appointed to the City Council, Orville Rummell became Coordinator for a brief period and headquartered in a second-floor space above Nielsen Florists at California and Oregon. The firm was renamed by Best as West Seattle Associates.

During the term of Leon Wagner in 1967, a group headed by Doris Richards and Warren Lawless, left the ad department of the Herald to buy West Seattle Associates. They were hired to run the Hi-Yu for the next seven years. Their offices were the visible headquarters through which the majority of contacts and arrangements were carried out. In addition to Wagner, presidents during those years included Jack Hanning and Bob Grieve.

The premier event throughout all the years of Hi-Yu is the Grande Parade, then, now and always, a project of West Seattle American Legion Post 160. The parade actually preceded Hi-Yu by a few years. Bob Grieve was perennial chairman, and directed the event from a meter-maid vehicle which traversed the parade route many times during it's duration as it proceeded south on California Avenue from Admiral Way to the Junction. The park Department loaned Hi-Yu a couple sections of bleacher which seated dignitaries in front of VanGilder's and later Perry's Furniture Store. A PA system perched on the marquis, announced the entries as they approached.

The 1973 Hi-Yu seems to emerge as a milestone among Hi-Yu festivals; not only for its 50th anniversary status, but because the official Hi-Yu Parade Float, designed by Moe Beerman, won significant acclaimed and still remains emblazoned on the exterior of the West Seattle Post Office,. as one of the "Murals of West Seattle." The 56-foot float, "Magical Moments in the Land of Oz," depicts the famous "yellow-brick road" inhabited by "Dorothy's" friends the "Cowardly Lion," the "Tin Man" and others also introduced parade goers to Hi-Yu Queen Julie Basket and her court princesses Kathie Dempsey and Sandra Salle.

1973 marked another significant circumstance in Hi-Yu history. After approving the Golf Tournament, the Kid's Jamboree and the Carnival at the Golf Course and Stadium, the park Department withdrew its invitation about two months before the 1973 Hi-Yu except for the Golf Tournament and suggested it could be held at Hiawatha Playfield. Park officials feared the Hi-Yu activities would mess up their newly renovated track and greensward. Unfortunately no one had reckoned with the unhappiness of the surrounding neighbors who petitioned the court for a restraining order to kill the use of the Hiawatha field for a Carnival. Hi-Yu prevailed, but serious illness of the Carnival operator accomplished for the protesters what they failed to win in court.

For many years, the evening before the Grande Parade was highlighted by the West Seattle Eagles Kiddies Costume and Pet Parade. Hi-Yu headquarters was signing up entries for a week prior to the event which was a treasure of creativity featuring kids to 12 years and a variety of cats, pooches, parakeets and sundry other critters who did the parade route with varying degrees of reluctance. The late M. A. "Ma" Earle was chairman.

With no special guarantee of accuracy of this rambling piece, and acknowledged lack of orderly chronology, the 1998 Hi-Yu invites any resident of West Seattle who has a collection of photos, clippings and other memorabilia of the 75 years of Hi-Yu to consider contributing them to be archived in a permanent Hi-Yu collection of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society at the Log House Museum. Certainly, the 75 years of Hi-Yu deserves a place in West Seattle history.