Post-Contact History
American Colonization
In 1855, a huge area, including what is now Trilogy at Redmond Ridge, was ceded to the United States Government through the treaty of Point Elliot. In 1864, President Lincoln signed the Northern Pacific Land Grant act giving 46 million acres to the Union Pacific, Northern Pacific, and Southern Pacific railways. This grant included the square mile - Section 27 of Township 26 North, 6 East, Willamette Meridian – that lies at the heart of the Trilogy property. Trilogy at Redmond Ridge also includes property in Sections 22, 26, and 34.
The first American settlers in what would become the city of Redmond arrived in 1871 and the first modern survey of the 26 North-6 East township was completed in 1873. Following this survey, the rest of the properties surrounding the NPRR section were claimed or purchased between 1882 and 1892. In 1900, the newly formed Weyerhaeuser Timber Company purchased section 27 – as well as all of the rest of the NPRR lands. By 1940, ownership of this section as well as almost all the property that would become Trilogy was progressively consolidated by the Siler Logging Company. The Siler Logging Company was a joint venture between the Port Blakely Mill Company, and the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company focused on logging operations in the area.
Image clipped from original survey.
Logging
Logged since the late 1890s, by the 1940s the old growth forest had been fully extracted. Following the practices of the time, the land was then left to regenerate naturally – leaving the second growth forest we see today. The impact of the logging history in the area is easily seen in the numerous large stumps, and a couple of the railbeds since converted to hiking trails. When you walk on the trails, try to envision the forest where the widely spaced stumps are the dominant trees and the trees you see today were only seeds, seedlings, or small understory trees.
To the west lies the Redmond Watershed Preserve. Starting around 1930 and completing in 1941 and after it was fully logged out, the City of Redmond purchased the 880nacres that would eventually become the Redmond Watershed Preserve which borders Trilogy to the west. Initially intended to provide an additional water source for the growing city, the water was eventually determined to be unacceptably silty. Although it has been considered for other uses since, the land was left undeveloped and was used by local groups for passive recreation. In 1989 the Preserve was formally designated as a permanent park through the passage of an Open Space bond and an interlocal agreement with King County.