Herman Chapin
Named in 14 stories. Back to all names
- Jan 9, 1887The Price of a Roof in 1885 SeattleA look at the frantic real estate market and rental landscape of early Seattle, where rapid growth and the promise of railroad expansion sent property values soaring.Eighth Street, Seattle, WA
- May 15, 1888The Fire Limit Fiasco: How Seattle’s Elite Dodged Safety CodesWhile the city arrested drunks and fined sailors for minor infractions, two prominent developers built a frame house right inside the fire zone—and got away with it.Seattle, WA
- Sep 6, 1888The Waterfront Gold Rush of 1888A prime 80-acre parcel on Lake Washington, featuring a half-mile of water frontage, goes to market with the promise of future manufacturing glory.Kirkland, WA
- Jan 1, 1889The Great Seattle Building Boom of 1888A meticulously logged list of nearly 1,500 structures built in a single year, revealing a city transforming from a frontier outpost into a bustling metropolis.Seattle, WA
- Aug 1, 1892The Great Expansion of Seattle's StreetcarsCity Hall invites competitive bids for a massive expansion of railway lines, shaping the city's growth in the late 19th century.Seattle, WA
- Jun 7, 1893Eastern Capitalists Bet Big on Seattle's FutureA Boston bank president purchases a half-block of prime downtown Seattle real estate for a major business development.Seattle, WA
- Jun 7, 1893Herman Chapin's $300,000 Bet on SeattleDespite a period of financial stringency, a local bank president secures Boston capital to build a massive, iron-and-glass department store complex on Second Avenue.Seattle, WA
- Dec 28, 1893The Snoqualmie Mill Lost to FireA major industrial site, recently shuttered by financial woes, is destroyed by a blaze just as it was being prepared for operation.Snoqualmie, WA
- Feb 18, 1894The 'Wise Men' Choose a CandidateA closed-door committee of seven selects a business-friendly mayoral ticket in a move to 'run the city like a corporation.'Chamber of Commerce, Seattle, WA
- Feb 28, 1894The Political Machine and the Citizens' TicketA bitter look at local political maneuvering in 1894, as power brokers attempt to bypass the Republican ticket.Seattle, WA
- Mar 6, 1894Seattle’s ‘Palace of Trade’: 10,000 Crowd the Rialto’s Opening NightA Boston-backed department store at Second and Madison threw open four floors of retail spectacle, declaring Seattle had arrived on the Pacific Coast.Seattle, WA
- Apr 30, 1894A Perilous Afternoon on Lake WashingtonHigh winds capsize three local canoeists, leading to a harrowing rescue on the open lake.Lake Washington, Seattle, WA
- Jan 19, 1895Col. Lewis Defends the Militia Against Corporate CaptureA fiery speech at the Seattle Armory denies that the state militia is a tool of the railroads, drawing cheers from 1,500 spectators.Seattle Armory, Seattle, WA
- Jun 26, 1899The Battle for the Post Office: Who Owns Seattle's Future?As federal inspectors hunt for a site for a new U.S. Post Office, local property owners are scrambling to offer their buildings—revealing the intense competition for civic infrastructure and the high value of downtown real estate.Seattle, WA