GCMG1Y Hitt's Hill (Traditional Cache) in Washington, United States created by brodiebunch

This cache has been archived.

brodiebunch: I think this is our youngest cache (January 2005) and back then there were not many larger sized geocaches located away from the lake. It would be nice to think our caches in SE Seattle would bring people who bypass the area to visit the area and maybe add their own caches.

This cache has been muggled two or three times including some time between today and the last find. Its time for the sun to set on the Hitt's Hill and let someone else have their turn at cache management here.

There are still a number of other Brodiebunch caches throughout the city. Go find those [:)]

GCMG1Y ▼

A cache by brodiebunch Message this owner

Hidden : 1/12/2005

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Though we don't live in SE Seattle, this area has some pretty interesting history as Seattle goes.....

Thomas Gabriel Hitt (1874-1958) was a British émigré who began tinkering with fireworks while studying chemistry at Westminster College in his native London. According to a family story, Hitt almost got kicked out of his “proper English college” for making fireworks and storing them under his bed. He worked as a pharmacist in London after graduating in 1895, with a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry, but continued experimenting with explosives. In 1899 he and brother Fred opened the Hitt Brothers Firework Company in Victoria, BC before setting up his own shop with his wife Aliza in then independent Columbia City in 1905. The site is now Hitt's Hill Natural Park.

He and son Raymond's elaborate firework displays caught the attention of Hollywood. The Hitts were asked to recreate the burning of Atlanta scene in "Gone with the Wind" and battle scenes in "All quiet on the Western Front"

In Seattle every firework display from 1918 to 1974 used Hitt's Fireworks. Thomas died in 1958 and son Ray ran the company but with increasing insurance premiums and property taxes along with pressure from local and federal regulators, the factory closed in 1977.

A local group called Friends of Hitts Hill and the city acquired the land in 2000 and late last year completed Hitt's Hill Natural Park. The cache is a small black container with the usual items BUT REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR OWN PEN/PENCIL. There is minimal bushwhacking for this find as its not at ground level. Be careful replacing the cache in its hiding place, it could fall further away from the next finder hands. Hitt's Hill had grown up considerably since January 2005 so your GPS may have issues with the satellites.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Frireny srrg FJ bs gur snyyra L ybt

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)