Seattle pioneer
David Denny built a summer cabin near the springs around 1870. The natural
spring fed
Green Lake before it was capped and drained to the Metro sewer system after it became contaminated by residential development (1920, 1931). The
Olmsted Brothers designed a park for Licton Springs, as part of a grand streets and parks plan for Seattle (1930s), but this park was never implemented. A park does exist today (where Woodlawn Avenue curves to connect with N 95th Street) in which the spring is located. In the mid-1960s restoration began with bond issues and increasing volunteer assistance, resulting in a small pond and natural wetland vegetation as well as urban park amenities. A Native American presence continues in the neighborhood through the Indian Heritage School at Wilson-Pacific. This school hosts frequent Indian Pow Wows and spectacular wall murals by Indian artist Andrew Morrison. The Everett and
Interurban Railway Company (1900–1936) came past the neighborhood in 1906. The trolleys became a part of everyday life and development of residential neighborhoods around trolley stops. Running on a narrow right-of-way through backyards, the whistle became part of the atmosphere of neighborhoods like Licton Springs. In the early years, the line ran through cut forest and rural farms. A few sawmills along the way gave the line a business hauling lumber. The rough wagon road became Aurora Avenue N (1930) after being paved with brick (1913) and asphalt (1928). A most distinctive early feature was the motorist "tourist camps", "auto camps", and later, "auto courts", then the now-familiar motels. One or two still remained at the turn of the 21st century. The Pilling family had a dairy farm (1909–1933), out of which grew the waterfowl habitat and birding site of
Pilling's Pond today. Japanese-Americans had greenhouses and small farms until they were abruptly forcibly removed with the
Internment of Japanese Americans (1942–1945). ==North College Park==