The Building Boom vs. The Tenant's Plight
Seattle pioneer H. L. Yesler contemplates clearing his property on Mill Street, leaving local business owners scrambling for space as he pivots to ambitious new construction.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Yesterday afternoon a reporter of the Post-Intelligencer met H. L. Yesler, and noticing that he wore a troubled expression, ventured to ask him what was the matter. 'Oh,' said the old gentleman, 'I am trying to find some place to put all these fellows along here between the Post building and the Leary block. I have about made up my mind to commence at once on my big block on Mill Street, but I don't know what to do with my tenants who occupy the buildings which will have to be torn down to make room. Mr. McGuire wants me to wait until spring, as this is his busy season. But as far as I can judge, he has a busy season all the time, and will be in no better shape to pull up stakes in the spring than he is now. I think I can cut his store in two and move a portion of it where he can still do business until the new block is completed. Joe Green and Banning, the baker, and the telegraph company and all the balance of them want me to hold on till spring, but I have held on too long already, and I think I had better get a move on myself and do something at once. I hope to be able to call for bids for the new building by the first of September.'
“I have held on too long already, and I think I had better get a move on myself and do something at once.”
Henry Yesler's struggle to balance rapid commercial expansion against the displacement of existing small business tenants is a recurring friction in Seattle's history. Just as in 1887, modern developers and local business owners continue to clash over the urgency of growth versus the stability of existing storefronts.
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