Seattle Asks Congress for $200,000 Lake Washington Canal
Seattle city officials formally lobby Congress for the massive canal and waterway project linking the harbor to the inland lakes.
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.
The Board of Aldermen and House of Delegates of the city of Seattle resolved that whereas the general river and harbor bill now pending in the Congress of the United States has been amended in the Senate to provide for an appropriation of two hundred thousand dollars for the construction of the canal and waterway from Seattle harbor to Lake Union and Lake Washington, and whereas the immediate construction of said waterway is of the utmost importance for the development of the commercial advantages of Seattle and would be of incalculable benefit to both the city and the state by providing within easy access of Puget Sound a fresh water harbor of vast size, the City Council of Seattle urges the immediate passage of said appropriation. A copy of this resolution is to be transmitted to Hon. John L. Wilson, our representative in Congress, as evidence of the desire of the people of Seattle for the immediate commencement of the construction.
“Providing within easy access of Puget Sound a fresh water harbor of vast size in every way fitted for the commerce of a great state.”
This resolution marks the early administrative push for the Lake Washington Ship Canal, a project that eventually reshaped the city's geography. Today, the canal remains a critical artery for maritime commerce and recreation, serving as a reminder of how the 1892 boosters successfully bet on the city's future as a gateway to the Pacific.
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