March 9 – March 23, 1878
The 1878 Great Seattle Tax Auction
Puget Sound Dispatch covered Seattle's March 1878 auction of delinquent-tax properties.
3 reports in Puget Sound Dispatch, March 9 – March 23, 1878.
The story
In March 1878, the Puget Sound Dispatch reported that Seattle auctioned private property to cover unpaid taxes. The paper described a large public auction of delinquent properties and, in one account, said dozens of Seattle properties were put on the block; it also said the listings showed names, debts, and landholdings of pioneer founders. The reports give no detailed accounting of amounts or outcomes, and their framing varies between a city liquidation and a consequence of growth outpacing residents' ability to pay.
Told from the 3 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 3
- Puget Sound DispatchSeattle's 1878 Auction of Property for Unpaid Taxes
When the city of Seattle moved to liquidate the private property of its citizens to cover a year of unpaid taxes.
- Puget Sound DispatchThe 1878 Great Seattle Tax Auction
Before the skyline, there was the spreadsheet: A massive public auction of delinquent Seattle properties reveals the names, debts, and land-holdings of the city's pioneer founders.
- Puget Sound DispatchSeattle’s 1878 Auction of Delinquent Tax Properties
When the city's growth outpaced its residents' pockets, dozens of Seattle properties were put on the auction block to cover delinquent taxes.
From the pages
Puget Sound Dispatch · Mar 9, 1878
Puget Sound Dispatch · Mar 16, 1878
Puget Sound Dispatch · Mar 23, 1878
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.