Martin Hoveland

By Bob Heilman

October 20, 1934

Here’s the man that started all the McKinleys in Tacoma. His name is Martin Hoveland and he was with the Metropolitan Park District way back in 1901. At that time McKinley Park didn’t even have a name; on the map of the city it was simply “East Park”. On the day after the assassination of the 25^th President of the United States, Martin Hoveland said to his co-workers, “Boys from now on this is McKinley Park.” And it has been. The park board immediately okayed it. Then residents of 8^th street petitioned the city council to change the name of the thoroughfare to McKinley Avenue. Okay to that too. The car line, which then ran only as far as where the Northern Pacific Hospital is now, became the McKinley Park line. Soon after, the whole district was named McKinley Hill. Now there’s the McKinley Park Improvement Club, lots of commercial organizations and other groups named for William McKinley and Martin Hoveland started it all. 

For the past twenty years Mr. Hoveland has been foreman at Wright park. He’s been with the park system for the past 23 years, saying only the 18 months he helped lay out the N.P. hospital grounds. The rest of the time he was McKinley Park foreman. Seventy-four today, Mr. Hoveland is perking on all 12, efficient and happy.

Born in Farsund, Norway, on October 20, 1860, Martin Hoveland was the son of the “lansmand” (sheriff to you) of two counties, Herrod and Spind. Mr. Hoveland figures this out to be about the same size as one of our counties. After Martin had completed his public and military school training he went to wrok to help his father, who not only apprehended villains, but collected all the taxes as well. With all this experience either traveling or working in Sheriff Hoveland’s office, but chose instead to come to America with his brother, Herman.

After two weeks in a logging camp near St. Paul Martin Hoveland decide he had enough of that. He went to work in a grocery house as a clerk. Didn’t know much English, but when a fellow asked him to slip in an extra gallon of kerosene Martin knew enough to tell him, in no uncertain Norwegian, to go jump in the lake. This all happened in San Diego when Balboa park was just a bunch of brush hills and the brothers Hoveland pitched their tent in the wilds of what is now the center of the city. After working in the grocery for eight months he had a piece of hard luck. Typhoid fever laid him low, but he laughed and he’s still laughing. His next job was a good one fresh air and rest; he worked on a citrus farm. Then he came to Tacoma and as far as his career is concerned, you know that story by now.

Not very long after coming to coming to America our birthday subject went back to the old country and married Maria Hansen in Moss, Norway. Her sister became his brother’s wife and they all came to America together. When the youngest of six children was only 2 ½ years old , Mrs. Hoveland died. It was a struggle for Mr. Hoveland to make a home for them and send them through school, but he did it. Five of the children are alive today: Lillian, who’s Mrs. A.C. Church of Oakland, Cal; Erling of Seattle; Signe, who’s Mrs. Frank Ebert and William of Tacoma and Thor, with whom Father Hoveland makes his home at 3715 south D street. The late Borjhild was Mrs. Bill Alleman.

Mr. Hoveland hasn’t any time or inclination for hobbies. He leads a full life with his work in the park, contentment in rest, and his newspaper. Many happy returns of the day to you, and more to come, Mr. Hoveland.