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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 2 |
11 stories matching brickwork
- The Smoke-Filled Backroom Deals of 1886
A disgruntled contractor exposes the murky process behind the construction of public works in early Seattle, challenging the city's power brokers.
- Labor Committee Investigates County Hospital
A union committee tasked with inspecting the workmanship of a new county hospital finds the quality passable but critiques the use of the contract system.
- Whistleblower Exposes Shoddy Work on County Almshouse
A veteran bricklayer alleges that the new county building was built with inferior materials and covered up with paint to deceive inspectors.
- Seattle’s Sewer Construction Hits a Wall
A report from the City Engineer exposes significant budget overruns and administrative errors in the 1893 sewer bond projects, forcing an immediate halt to construction.
- University of Washington's New Campus Takes Shape
After years of litigation and labor strikes, the new university building nears completion as landscape work begins on the grounds.
- The Great Sewer Scandal (Feb 08, 1894)
City inspectors and laborers trade accusations over whether Seattle’s new sewers are built to last a millennium or are merely 'rubbish.'
- Seattle’s Sewers Running Into a Budget Deficit
City Engineer R.H. Thomson warns that original appropriations are insufficient to complete critical sewer tunnel work, suggesting design modifications to save money.
- Defective Sewer Construction in the Third Ward
Accusations of corruption and shoddy craftsmanship arise as city officials are caught using undersized rods and poor brickwork on public projects.
- City Hall's Incompetent Board of Works
A critical letter exposes the lack of qualifications among the men overseeing Seattle's infrastructure, from water pipes to sewer systems.
- Furniture Factory Nearly Lost to Waterfront Fire
Firefighters battle a stubborn blaze beneath the old Mechanics' Wharf after flames broke out under a newly opened mattress and furniture factory.
- The Sewer Under Beacon Hill
After quicksand, floods and a costly detour, Seattle’s South Tunnel is weeks from completion—and somehow still inside its $100,000 budget.
Also about this, in other words
- Seattle’s Streets Were Still Mostly Wood—Until the Brick Came
With 750 miles platted and only 106 improved, city engineers pushed permanent pavement on Union Street and dreamed of brick from local clay.
- The New Jewel of the Seattle Skyline
A descriptive look at the newly completed Yesler-Leary block, a state-of-the-art brick edifice at the corner of Mill and Front streets.
- Firing Up for the Building Boom
Veteran brick maker J.S. McAllister gears up to turn the Duwamish riverbank into the foundation for Seattle's next wave of construction.
- The Great Reconstruction
A reporter recounts the feverish pace of laborers, bricklayers, and carpenters rebuilding Seattle following a massive fire.
- Seattle's First Real Street Paving
A specimen half-block is laid on Commercial Street as a test to end the era of plank roads and mud.
- The Great Tacoma Brick Boom: A City Building Itself Into the Future
As ten new brick structures rise on Water Street and real estate auctions fetch record prices, Tacoma’s leaders are betting big on a booming future—despite labor shortages and material scarcity.
- The Brick Revolution: Why Seattle’s Wooden Streets Are a Financial Trap
An editorial in the Seattle Intelligencer argues that the city's reliance on timber construction is holding back its prosperity, urging property owners to invest in fireproof brick buildings to secure higher rents and double their income.
- Seattle’s Housing Crisis: Brick by Brick, Room by Room
As the city races to build new brick structures on Second and Smith Streets, officials warn that even these new constructions won't be enough to stop rents from skyrocketing.