In Sept. 1954, when this photo was taken, Gaffney’s Lake Wilderness resort was the height of fashion. The story of the sprawling 117-acre private park began in the early 1920s when three resorts were planted along the lake’s west shore. Two brothers, Tom and Kane Gaffney purchased one of the three properties and in time consolidated the others owned by the Dieckmans and McKinney into one. The lake’s east shore was still dominated by Pacific Coast Railroad, whose trains hauled coal from Black Diamond. Today those old tracks have been replaced by a popular King County trail.
At its peak, the combined Lake Wilderness resort saw upwards of 9,000 guests in a day. Building on their success, the Gaffney brothers completed an award-winning lodge with a carved totem pole rising through the center of the lobby. The lodge, built at a cost of $250,000 in 1950 boasted 12 overnight rooms, a dining room seating 140, and banquet facilities accommodating 400. By 1952, an air strip was added with air taxi service to and from Bellevue. While the lodge received headlines and news coverage, young singles and families descended upon the resort to enjoy attractions including a dance hall, skating rink, bowling alley, tennis courts, slides, high dives, and picnic areas along the shoreline. This photo of a fancy merry-go-round comes courtesy of JoAnne Matsumura, an Issaquah historian, with resort information from Angelee Warrington’s article in the Maple Valley Historical Society newsletter.
