The Great 'Ram’s Horn' Legal Battle Ends
A landmark Supreme Court decision upholds railroad franchises against the City of Seattle, clearing the way for new industrial development along the waterfront.
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The supreme court has issued a final ruling in the long-standing 'ram's horn' case, a dispute between the City of Seattle and the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad Company and the Northern Pacific. The court affirmed the lower court's decision in favor of the railroads on every material point, holding that the railroad franchise was valid and that the city had no right to alter street grades in a manner that destroyed the franchise's value. The city had attempted to raise the grades of streets, such as Columbia Street, effectively blocking the railroad's access. The court ruled that while cities have the power to regulate streets, such power cannot be used to arbitrarily destroy legally granted property rights. General Manager Smith of the railroad stated that the company now intends to rebuild the line, potentially allowing for new industrial yards in North Seattle.
“Surely, the mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”
This 1893 legal battle over public versus private control of waterfront infrastructure echoes modern debates about the Seattle waterfront’s redevelopment. Much like today’s arguments over industrial land use versus public access, the 'ram's horn' case highlights how infrastructure decisions from a century ago still dictated the city’s industrial geography.
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