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Kelsey Creek Farm is a serene pastoral destination nestled in the center of a growing urban setting in Washington state. Located just east of downtown Bellevue, the 150-acre farm is owned by the City of Bellevue and operated by the Bellevue Parks and Community Services Department. The farm offers a selection of recreational programs and tours committed to educating the community on farm life. Open 365 days a year, the farm welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually.

History

File:OldPhotoOfKelseyBarns.jpg

Depicted are the Twin Valley Dairy Barn, Educational Barn, and Fraser Cabin (left to right)

In 1901, Wade Hewitt and Charles Lea purchased property in the Wilburton area. Due to the abundance of timber in the Wilburton and neighboring areas, the Hewitt and Lea Logging Company used the area to log for timber up until the early 1920s.
During the early 20th century, agriculture became a growing industry in Washington State. In 1921, the 190 acres of land was sold to the Pearl and William Herman Duey. The past logging activity provided the Dueys 5 acres of cleared land, where they built a barn for dairy cows and they began their dairy business named Twin Valley Dairy, named after the two valleys that sit on both sides of the farm₄. Pearl Duey drove the milk truck with her daughter, Alta Estella Duey, on board to run the bottles up to the houses. Together they delivered as many as 300 quarts of milk every day to residents living in the area. One of their customers included Kemper Freeman, the founder of Bellevue Square. In August of 1933, the barn burnt down. William Herman Duey, a skilled carpenter, and some others not only rebuilt the barn within two weeks, but also built an additional red barn that was used as a milk house. Both barns are still standing today, and the former is referred to as the Animal Barn or the Twin Valley Dairy Barn. The Twin Valley Dairy Barn was added to the Washington Heritage Barn Register on May 5th, 2010.₁
During the Great Depression, the land was sold to the Haller family but the Dueys continues operating their dairy business up until 1942, when it was purchased by John Michaels. Michaels built an additional dairy barn in 1943-1944 and increased the dairy herd size. Today, this barn is the north barn and known as the Education Barn. Following World War II, Michaels sold the property to Ray and Nettie Fisher. The Fishers discontinued the history of dairy business and began raising Hereford beef cattle. In 1954, they built the current farm house and began living on the property. The Fishers lived and raised cattle on the farm until 1968. During that time, the surrounding areas had been sold to housing developers who started building single-family homes in the 60s. The rapid development in the area drove the Fishers to sell the farmland. Developers were planning to build more residences on the land, but Fisher’s neighbors petitioned the Bellevue City Council to purchase the property and designate it as a public park as an attempt to preserve the history of the land. The neighbors’ petition was successful, and the city ended up purchasing 80 acres of the land, which included the farmhouse, and barns. This petition is an example of the rise in counterculture in the Seattle area during the 1970s. The Seattle counterculture played a role in early environmentalism and the overall concern for protecting the environment.₂ The Fishers sold the property for a price that was much less than what developers were willing to pay because they believed in protecting and preserving the beauty and legacy of the land.
Just one year later, in 1969, the farmhouse became the headquarters for the Bellevue Parks & Recreation Department. The oldest barn, built by Mr. Duey, was remodeled to house various farm animals for the purpose of public viewing and educational programs. The other barn, built by John Michaels, was modified to accommodate community programs. In 1974, a log cabin built in 1888, called the Fraser House or Fraser Cabin, was moved to Kelsey Creek Farm. In 1990, the city purchased another plot of land located south of the park, making the total size of Kelsey Creek Farm Park over 150 acres. Kelsey Creek, named after H.E. Kelsey, a school teacher who moved to the are in 1884, now operates as a working farm for families to visit.

Mission

Kelsey Creek Farm was sold to the city with the hope that its beauty would be preserved and shared with its community. The farm functions to share its history through education, provide free or affordable programs, and to preserve some of Bellevue’s oldest structures.₃ With the ever-growing city of Bellevue, Kelsey Creek Farm remains one of the sole mementos of the history of what Bellevue once was.

Activities

The gravel path that connects the parking lot to the trails and farm

One of the trails that connects Kelsey Creek to the Lake to Lake trail

Kelsey Creek Farm provides its visitors with plenty of activities, including trails, a playground, guided group tours and educational programs. A system of forested hiking trails is located behind the farm, connecting Kelsey Creek to Wilburton Hill Park and the Lake to Lake trail. he farm’s programs include over 20 educational programs geared for kids to experience farm life. These programs include activities such as exploring the Kelsey Creek wetlands, learning about the history of the farm, and learning about animal care. In addition to the programs, Kelsey Creek Farm offers five different camps for kids ages 5-14. These camps are less focused on the farm, with activities such as exploring the art of cartooning, learning about kitchen science experiments, and an entire camp devoted to ponies. The farm animals are a vital part of the educational programs at the farm. To support the animals, Kelsey Creek Farm has an “Adopt a Kelsey Creek Critter!” program. Care and custody stay with the farm, but this program allows community members to sponsor any of the following farm animals for a year: chicken, cow, goat, pig, pony, rabbit, and sheep. Volunteer opportunities are offered for teenagers and adults.₅ Kelsey Creek Farm is one of the only, if not the only, farm in the Bellevue area that provides the community with hands-on opportunities to learn about farming and the history of the farm.

References

1. "Heritage Barn Grants." Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP). Accessed May 03, 2019.
2. Hernandez, Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia. "Radical Environmentalism: The New Civil Disobedience?" Seattle Journal for Social Justice, Fall/Winter 2007, 6, no. 1 (November 2007).
3. "Kelsey Creek Farm Park." Bellevue. Accessed May 03, 2019.
4. Service, Wire. "Twin Valley Dairy | Heritage Corner." Bellevue Reporter. October 21, 2016. Accessed May 03, 2019.
5. "Visiting the Farm." Visiting the Farm - Parks and Community Services. Accessed May 03, 2019.