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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 34 |
| 1877 | 19 |
| 1878 | 12 |
| 1880 | 8 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 18 |
| 1884 | 19 |
| 1885 | 31 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 27 |
| 1888 | 55 |
| 1889 | 70 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 24 |
| 1892 | 50 |
| 1893 | 48 |
| 1894 | 47 |
| 1895 | 66 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 25 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 12 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
598 stories matching develop
- A Frontier Real Estate Deal
A classic 1876 listing for a house and lot on 2nd Avenue, revealing the mid-development geography of early Seattle.
- The Struggle for the Promised Land of Washington Territory
While Washington pioneers clamored for the development of government-held land to build a state, political gamesmanship in Washington, D.C. left the local economy in limbo.
- The Feeding Frenzy of 1889
Before the city’s meteoric rise, land developers in Seattle were already peddling the 'next big thing' across the water, promising smelters and shipyards to anyone with cash in hand.
- The Real Estate Handshake: A Forgotten Legal Precedent
An 1889 court ruling from Kansas reverberated in Seattle, forcing a change in how developers and land brokers accounted for profits.
- Snoqualmie Pass: Seattle's Potential Iron Empire
A local developer scouts for iron and copper in the Snoqualmie Pass, hoping to launch a major mining and rail operation that would connect the mountain riches directly to Seattle.
- The Pioneer Spirit and the Building of Seattle
A look at the ambitious civic development of Seattle's Front Street and the men behind its early transformation into a modern business hub.
- The Boom-Time Promises of Seattle’s 'Most Popular Addition'
In the spring of 1891, real estate developers peddled the dream of cheap housing and rapid growth along the new James Street car line, a precursor to the century of development that followed.
- Seattle Scraps Skagit Power Expansion
A power project costing $11 million faces an uncertain future as the city council fires the engineering crew and halts construction.
- The Sudden Passing of a Seattle Titan
Guy C. Phinney, the wealthy capitalist and benefactor of Woodland Park, dies at his estate following a brief illness.
- The Dream of the Suburban Garden Plot
Developers in 1891 sold city dwellers on the 'choicest' acreages just outside of the developing Seattle core, promising a life of suburban gardens along the new Rainier Avenue electric line.
- The Buried Treasure of Seattle’s Industrial Future
A real estate notice reveals the immense value—and looming development—of a coal field near Lake Washington, long before the city’s urban expansion.
- The Battle Over Seattle’s History
Pioneer C. B. Bagley takes to the pages of the P-I to correct misstatements about the city's early development and street history.
- The Rapid Rise of Palatine
A new industrial settlement along the canal route emerges as a hub of quick development.
- The Fight Against Mortgage Taxes
The Chamber of Commerce warns that taxing mortgages will drive away capital and hurt economic development.
- When Seattle Made Property Owners Pay for Street Grading
An 1878 ordinance reveals the early mechanics of Seattle’s urban development and the 'special assessment' taxes that forced property owners to pay for city street improvements.
- Protecting the Timber Frontier
Seattle business leaders lobby to maintain trade protections against foreign competition.
- The Real Estate Market of 1876
A straightforward listing for a modest home on 2nd Street offers a window into the foundational land development of Seattle.
- The Real Estate Boom at Salmon Bay
A speculative land development promises a suburban future in Seattle’s north side, betting on railroad connectivity.
- The Battle for the Rails: Monopoly vs. The Public Good
A scathing editorial from 1885 outlines the clash between the Union Pacific’s 'business-first' model and the Northern Pacific's alleged strategy of political bribery and town-site speculation.
- The Unpaved Dispute: A Seattle Street Fight
When the City Council attempted to force through street improvements against the wishes of local property owners, the resulting legal struggle highlighted the friction between civic development and individual land rights in 1887.
- The Price of Growth: How Seattle’s Economy Faced the Boom and Bust of 1877
A look back at the financial anxieties and rapid development of 1877 Seattle, as the young city navigated the transition from frontier town to an emerging regional market.
- The Roller Rink Craze of 1872
Before the city's modern obsession with wellness, local promoters banked on a new indoor exercise to save Seattle’s youth from 'pernicious influences and vile haunts.'
- James J. Hill’s Pacific Ambitions
The Great Northern Railroad president reveals a bold plan to dominate the Pacific lumber market and establish high-speed steamship links to Asia.
- The Rules of the Game: How Seattle's First Lawyers Codified the Fight for Land
When the Washington Territorial legislature overhauled the rules of civil procedure, they essentially wrote the blueprint for how Seattle’s developers and land speculators would battle over the city’s footprint for decades to come.
- The Fight to Protect Seattle’s Tap Water
A century ago, city engineers were already sounding the alarm about protecting the Cedar River watershed from industrial development and pollution to ensure a clean supply for a growing city.