Settled along the eastern shore, Mercer Island’s first eastside settlement traces its roots to Charles Olds and his family, who loaded their possessions onto a barge at Leschi and towed it to Mercer Island, establishing their homestead there in November 1885.
The Olds family cleared 12 acres of land and filled it with apple trees, some of which still remain to this day, along with the orchard’s nickname, Appleton.
This neighborhood of about 20 homes was mostly developed during the mid-century and fully developed by the early 1980s. The oldest home in Appleton is a beautiful 1914 beach house with shared waterfront enjoyed with other neighboring homes.
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