George Lightfoot

George Washington Lightfoot (born 1874 in Denver, Colorado – 1942 in Mercer Island, Washington) is known as the "father" of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. Lightfoot was a very important citizen of early Mercer Island. George, commonly known as "Speed", and his brother, Ewart Gladstone Lightfoot, commonly known as "Hap", ran Lightfoot Enterprises on Mercer Island from 1914 through the early 1980s. Lightfoot Enterprises included the first grocery store, post office, gas station, dance/movie hall and bakery on Mercer Island. Speed Lightfoot also was a vaudeville musician who performed under the stage name, "The Jolly Hobo Globetrotter", and performed with his sister, Eva, known as "The Mandolin Banjo Fiend".

References

• Gellatly, J. (1977). Mercer Island Heritage.
• Hilliard, N. (2008). Mercer Island Old and New - Redux.
• Seattle Times. (1942). George Lightfoot. Obituary. http://mercerislandhistory.org/pdf/Lightfootobit.pdf