Who Was Walter E. Hall? — Live in Everett

Editor’s note: Originally posted April 16, 2019. Republished May 6, 2021.

Now that spring is here, there are a ton of warm weather activities to look forward to in Everett. If you’re in south Everett, you know that the prime spot for skating, soccer, and other fun is Walter E. Hall Park.

It’s smack in the middle of Casino Road, and perfect for all of us who live right in the surrounding area. I learned to ride a bike at Walter E. Hall, and spent summer days rolling down the hill and enjoying different community and sporting events. People who are way more coordinated than I am can spend hours putting away on the golf course. But I always wondered, who was Walter Hall?

The golf course at Walter E. Hall Park // David Blakeslee

After a little digging I learned that Walter was born in Stafford, England in 1879. At the age of 21 he joined the crew of a steamship and worked his way across to New York. He stayed on the east coast for nearly a decade while his father and his siblings continued west and made their way to Everett. After saving some money working in a soap factory in Jersey City, Walter joined the rest of the family in Everett in 1910. At the time, Walter had no real investment in parks and recreation.

It was his brother Oden who started the family obsession when he took a job as a gardener. Oden’s prowess for plant life was noticed, and his position was promoted. He became superintendent of parks in 1921. It was during Oden’s time as the superintendent that the whole Hall family got involved. Together they raised support for the Forest Park zoo, going as far as feeding and caring for the animals themselves when necessary.

*Editor’s note. We tried to find a photo of Walter E. Hall, but we had a hard time tracking one down. Anyone have a photo? Send it in: contact@liveineverett.com

While Oden was growing the parks, Walter worked for the Sumner Iron Works. He didn’t hold an official position in the parks department until 1935, when Oden began to get sick with tuberculosis. Oden battled it out for years, but succumbed to his illness in 1938. Walter rose to the occasion and took over as superintendent immediately.

Just because he didn’t have the experience of his brother, it didn’t mean Walter wasn’t going to give it all he got. He served as superintendent for 18 years and continued his brother’s vision for Everett parks. He worked the job until his own death in 1956.

The skatepark at Walter E. Hall Park // David Blakeslee

John Hall took over for his father, and was superintendent until 1972. It was during John’s time that parks began to incorporate more recreational activities. Across the country parks were no longer only seen as beautiful nature-focused sanctuaries, they were starting to be acknowledged as essential public goods.

In the 1970s, Everett was very different from the small little mill town the Hall family moved to. South Everett especially was expanding in population and it became clear that a park should be built to meet the needs of the community.

The plot of land at 1226 Casino was determined to be the perfect spot, and the park was dedicated on May 27, 1972. It was John who chose to name the park after his late father, in honor of his years of service to the Everett community.