The Alki Point Boat War
A bitter turf battle over ferry rights at Alki Point pits residents against an enterprising captain.
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 campers at Alki Point are in a state of agitation. Mrs. Mellone and others who have made camp there find themselves in the midst of a sharp dispute over a landing site. Up to the present time, one captain has been doing a profitable business running a steam launch from the point at 25 cents a head. A conflict arose when the steamer 'Fuss' decided to land on the other end of the beach, and the campers of Mrs. Mellone were up in arms against it. The Clan MacDonald promptly threatened to burn the launch from the run, and Mrs. Mellone promptly responded by cutting the rates at 10 cents for the round trip. The result has been that a deadline in the water and a bold bravado has sprung up between those who were at one time the best of friends. Individual sentiment among the campers seems to hold the monopoly in blame, but it has continued to escalate to the detriment of the pleasant social functions which have occurred along the beach.
“The result has been that a deadline in the water and a bold bravado has sprung up between those who were at one time the best of friends.”
Territorial disputes over public space and access have been a hallmark of the Alki waterfront since its earliest days as a resort. While the 'boat wars' of 1899 have long since faded, current residents and visitors still grapple with similar tensions regarding beach access, parking, and the commercialization of public coastal property.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.