April 14 – July 4, 1889
The Renton Addition: Seattle’s 1889 Speculative Gold Rush
Seattle reports trace Renton Addition land speculation and streetcar promotion in 1889.
5 reports in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 14 – July 4, 1889.
The story
Between April 14 and July 4, 1889, Seattle Post-Intelligencer items describe a real-estate boom in Seattle centered on the Renton Addition and Beacon Hill, with weekly deed logs, shifting property lines, and rapid turnover. One May report calls a sale of the “cream” of Beacon Hill land a signal of citywide frenzy; later reports connect the addition to streetcar expansion and name railway and hotel leaders among buyers. The reports are promotional and transaction-focused, and they do not give verified causes, totals, or consistent details.
Told from the 5 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 5
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Seattle Land Rush of 1889
A weekly log of deeds and transactions reveals the frenzied pace of development, speculation, and shifting property lines in pre-statehood Seattle.
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Wild West of Seattle Land Speculation
A single week in April 1889 shows the frantic, high-velocity churn of property ownership as Seattle’s real estate fever hit a boiling point just months before the Great Fire.
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Renton Addition: Seattle’s 1889 Speculative Gold Rush
As property developers paved the way for Seattle's expansion, one man's high-stakes sale of the 'cream' of Beacon Hill real estate signaled a city-wide frenzy for land and infrastructure.
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThe Real Estate Tycoons of Early Seattle
A look at the men and the infrastructure driving the 1889 expansion of the city's streetcar lines and the booming Renton Addition.
- The Seattle Post-IntelligencerRenton Addition Buyers Include Railway and Hotel Leaders
As Seattle boomed, property developers promised exclusivity and rapid growth in the newly promoted Renton Addition, setting the stage for a city-wide expansion that would redefine the skyline.
From the pages
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Apr 14, 1889
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Apr 21, 1889
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · May 22, 1889
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Jun 23, 1889
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Jul 4, 1889
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.