ADDING MULTIMEDIA Hampton Hotels and Suquamish Tribe Pay Tribute to Legendary Tribal Leader Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle Honored by Hampton's Save-A-Landmark(R) Program with
Refurbishment of Old Man House Park
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(Business Wire)--
Chief Seattle, the legendary namesake of Seattle, Wash., was
celebrated with the refurbishment of Old Man House Park, the site of
the honored chief's original birthplace and home. The Suquamish Tribe
worked in conjunction with Hampton Hotels' Save-A-Landmark(R) program
(www.hamptonlandmarks.com) to refurbish and beautify the one-acre
waterfront park grounds.
Dozens of volunteers from local Hampton Hotels and the Suquamish
Tribe spent an estimated 100 hours improving the park, which included
cleaning, pruning and landscaping the park and beach grounds,
re-grading the switchback walking trail, repairing existing signage
and parking stalls, and sanding and painting picnic tables and
benches.
"The early settlers of the city of Seattle honored Chief Seattle
by naming their home for him. He was not only a prominent figure among
his people, he's an important part of American history," said Judy
Christa-Cathey, vice president of brand marketing for Hampton Hotels.
"We're excited to have the opportunity to work closely with the
Suquamish Tribe on this improvement effort, ensuring that future
visitors of Old Man House Park will continue to enjoy the brilliant
landscape and learn more about the legacy Chief Seattle has left
behind."
In 1855, Chief Seattle signed the Point Elliot Treaty which
established the Port Madison Indian Reservation for the Suquamish
People. Old Man House, a derivative of the Indian word "o-le-man,"
meaning strong man, once held an impressive longhouse built by Chief
Seattle's father. It reportedly housed eight great Indian Chiefs and
their families and was the last active traditional winter house
utilized by the Suquamish Tribal Community. Although no photographs
exist of the structure, it was known to be the largest cedar longhouse
on the West Coast, estimated to be 600 feet long and as wide as 60
feet in some places.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission returned
ownership of Old Man House Park to the Suquamish Tribe in 2005. Return
of the historic site, where Chief Seattle was born and lived, to
tribal ownership was a cause for celebration, honoring Native American
culture and the legacy of Chief Seattle.
In 2008, Hampton Hotels Save-A-Landmark(R) program has been
devoted to honoring "Landmark Legends," such as Chief Seattle, who
each have instilled positive change to America and will remind the
world of the greater legacy each of these legends has left behind. The
Old Man House Park was the fourth Save-A-Landmark(R) project of 2008,
and the 39th in the program's nine-year history. The program's
ultimate goal is to "save" a landmark in each of the 50 states by the
end of 2010.
The 2008 Hampton Hotels Save-A-Landmark campaign is dedicated to
preserving the historical sites of "Landmark Legends," honoring those
that have made a positive impact on American history. "Landmark
Legends" was launched in early 2008 with the restoration of the
National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., honoring the 40th
anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s untimely passing. The
program has also celebrated historic Americans such as pioneer author
Laura Ingalls Wilder and aviator Amelia Earhart, and will be
remembering showman PT Barnum with the refurbishment of the Barnum
Museum as well as Edgar Poe and the Poe Museum this fall.
The 2008 landmark locations were generated from a nationwide
survey, conducted by Hampton Hotels, to celebrate the accomplishments
of those Americans who have inspired change, overcome adversity and
made a difference. Those looking to discover other locations devoted
to historic individuals - or to possibly nominate their own "Landmark
Legend" - can visit the Save-A-Landmark site at
www.hamptonlandmarks.com and click on "submit a landmark" to enter a
nomination for a legendary landmark or mail recommendations to: c/o
Save-A-Landmark, 8730 Sunset Blvd., 5th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Below is just a sample of "heroic" landmarks already included in the
program's online database.
-- Jesse Owens Memorial Park, Danville, Ala.: This park honors
Olympic great Jesse Owens, an Oakville native who won four
gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, the first
American and the second athlete in history to win four gold
medals.
-- Jackie Robinson Birthplace, Cairo, Ga.: Born here on January
31, 1919, to sharecroppers and enslaved grandparents on what
was once a plantation, Jackie Robinson - the first
African-American major league baseball player - was just two
years old when his mother packed up Jackie and his four
siblings, hopped on a train and headed to California.
-- Hellen Keller Birthplace, Tuscumbia, Ala.: This small
birthplace cottage was the site of the remarkable story of
Helen Keller, the woman who was struck blind and deaf after
becoming ill around the age of two. The home, called Ivy
Green, eventually became the living quarters for Helen and her
teacher, Anne Sullivan, whose huge teaching strides with Helen
began by simply spelling out the word "water" in Helen's hand
as she pumped water over it.
-- Celia Cruz and Freedom Tower, Miami, Fla.: The Cuban
songstress Celia Cruz, "the Queen of Salsa," performed at
Freedom Tower during a 2001 fundraiser to turn the site into a
museum, and was later brought to the tower after her death so
tens of thousands of mourners could pay their last respects to
the legendary singer. Known as the Ellis Island of the Cuban
community, Freedom Tower is where immigration officials
processed more than 500,000 Cubans who fled the country in the
1960s.
Hampton's Save-A-Landmark program is continuing its ninth year
preserving historical, fun and cultural landmarks, from the Carousel
Gardens in New Orleans, La. to the historical National Monument to the
Forefathers in Plymouth, Mass. During this time, the program has
helped research landmarks in need, promoted landmark sites and their
importance, facilitated thousands of volunteer hours, donated several
tons of supplies and worked with matching grants -- all at an
investment of more than $2.5 million. Uniting its hotels together in
the communities they serve, Hampton employee-volunteers work
hand-in-hand on the landmarks while Hampton provides the financial
support to refurbish selected sites.
About Hampton Hotels
Hampton, which includes Hampton Inn, Hampton by Hilton and Hampton
Inn & Suites hotels, is a mid-priced leader in the lodging segment.
Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, a leading global
hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in
74 countries and territories, with more than 135,000 team members
worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best
known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton(R), Conrad(R)
Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton
Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand
Vacations(TM), Homewood Suites by Hilton(R) and The Waldorf=Astoria
Collection(TM).
Hilton Hotels Corporation is an Official Sponsor of the U.S.
Olympic Team, which will extend through the 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games in London, the 2010/2012 U.S. Paralympic Team and the 2011 U.S.
Pan American Team.
The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton's
philosophy that, "It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility
to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality." The
company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the
best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable(R).
The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels,
and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and
generosity.
For more information about Hampton Hotels, please visit
www.hampton.com/pressandmedia.
Hampton Brand Communications
Charmaine Easie-Samuels, 901-374-6462
Charmaine.Easie-Samuels@hilton.com
or
Cohn & Wolfe
Esther Rawlings, 310-967-2953
Esther.Rawlings@cohnwolfe.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
