Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Seattle's Hat and Boots

By Jack Brummet, Seattle Metro Editor



The Hat 'n' Boots now reside in Oxbow Park in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle.  They were built in 1954 as part of a Western-themed Texaco gas station and are alleged to be the largest hat and cowboy boots in America.  The hat measures 44 feet across and the boots are 22 feet high.

When the "filling station" fell on hard times, it was abandoned for many years, and finally, the City of Seattle moved the fully restored Hat 'n' Boots (they were in rocky shape due to years of neglect) to the new Oxbow Park in December 2003.

When I was young, before Interstate 5 was completed, we used to stop there on every trip to Seattle. It was the coolest thing ever for an eight year old to pee in the boot.  The boots are no longer bathrooms, but are used to store sprinklers, tools, and hoses for the park.

The Hat 'n' Boots even had a star turn--in National Lampoon's Vacation, in the opening credits.








 ---o0o---

No comments: