The Great Northern Moves into Seattle
After securing land for its terminal, the railroad prepares to transform the city into a major transcontinental hub.
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.
It is authoritatively announced that the Great Northern railroad has finally acquired all of the property necessary for its depot grounds. The price paid is in the neighborhood of $235,000. This ensures the speedy erection of a terminal depot that will cost at least $250,000. The great importance of the successful consummation of this work to the city of Seattle can hardly be overestimated. It will give the city all of the advantages that can accrue from its being made the terminus of a great transcontinental railroad. While Seattle has, in the past, grown and prospered by reason of its superior location and its great natural advantages, it has never had the important and fostering care of a powerful corporation. From this time on the interests of Seattle will be in a great measure allied with the interests of the best managed, most conservative and wealthiest transcontinental railroad that reaches the Pacific ocean.
“The prosperity of Seattle will assist in the upbuilding of the Great Northern railroad, and the prosperity of the Great Northern railroad will assist in the upbuilding of Seattle.”
This moment marked a pivot in Seattle's history, moving the city from a remote logging town to a rail-powered economic powerhouse. The influence of corporations on urban growth remains a central theme in Seattle politics today, as modern tech giants shape the city's infrastructure and housing landscape much like the railroads did in 1893.
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