Prior to 1916, Lake Washington’s shoreline reached today’s Juanita Drive, but when the lake was lowered a vast sandy expanse was revealed on the north side of Juanita Bay. Leslie and Alicia Forbes erected a small bathhouse and established a commercial bathing beach at the eastern edge of today’s Juanita Beach Park, while Shady and Sandy Beach opened to the west and the three private beaches competed for business. During the 1920-30’s, the Juanita Junction area took on the character of a lakeside resort, as the beaches became enormously popular and thousands of bathers came each summer by car and ferry to enjoy amenities that included an amusement park, skating rink, cabin rentals, a swimming dock, and a boathouse for play boats and canoe rentals. Entrance to the beach cost 10 cents, and a unisex bathing suit rented to 25 cents. In 1928, the original bathhouse was expanded into a new two story structure with changing rooms, bathrooms, and a confectionary on the lower level and a dance hall with a jukebox and table area on the upper floor. In 1956, the Forbes sold their property, including the family home built by Leslie’s parents, to King County for $46,650, and the county also bought the adjoining Shady Beach and Sandy Beach properties. In the 1990’s, the park had fallen into disrepair, but after the City of Kirkland acquired it in 2003, the first phase of park improvements was completed in 2011.