John J. McGilvra
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- Apr 13, 1877The City’s First Legal Battle: Seattle vs. the Man Who Owned the WaterIn April 1877, just months after Seattle was incorporated, the new Common Council authorized a lawsuit against Henry Yesler—the very man who built the city's first mill and gave it its name—over a dispute that would define municipal power.Seattle, WA
- Feb 23, 1878The Terminus Bait: How the Northern Pacific Played SeattleIn 1878, Washington residents saw through the railroad's broken promises and the cynical 'town lot' real estate schemes that kept the city waiting for a line.Seattle, WA
- Apr 6, 1878The Unincorporated City of SeattleIn 1877, a legal crisis regarding Seattle's city charter left the municipal government in limbo, struggling to prove its own legitimacy while 'disaffected individuals' looked to take advantage of the chaos.Commercial Street, Seattle, WA
- Oct 31, 1880The Seattle Land Grab of 1880A former Delegate to Congress accuses a prominent Seattle attorney of sabotaging a deal to save King County land, sparking a bitter political feud.Seattle, WA
- Dec 31, 1892The Fight Over Seattle's 'Wild and Visionary' Boulevard PlanA citizen raises alarms over the city's costly early attempts to expand public parks and infrastructure, accusing local real estate speculators of driving the vision.Sand Point, Seattle, WA
- Jan 3, 1893The Great Boulevard FeudA former city attorney accuses real estate speculators of using park plans to drive up land values.Seattle, WA
- Jan 11, 1893The Great Park vs. Boulevard DebateA skeptical citizen challenges the Park Commissioners' grandiose plans for miles of boulevards, calling them an unconstitutional overreach of power.Seattle, WA
- Jul 15, 1894The Judge Who Warned Seattle Not to Sell Its Waterfront to a Canal CompanyIn 1894, Judge John J. McGilvra urged Congress to build the Lake Washington Ship Canal and warned that a private company's tideflat scheme would put tolls on the water and enrich speculators at public expense.Seattle, WA
- Mar 21, 1895Who Gets to Rewrite Seattle's Charter — the Council or the People?A crowded, argumentative hearing at City Hall: the Chamber of Commerce is accused of a 'somersault,' a lawyer sneers at 'the people,' and Dr. Ramsey answers a councilman with a line of Latin.Seattle, WA