The Real Estate Dreams of Palatine Hill
In 1888, developers pitched a 'future great city' just north of Salmon Bay, promising a booming industrial paradise that never quite materialized as planned.
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.
Palatine Hill: The best and most desirable property on the market today. It is situated within one and a half miles of the Seattle Post Office, on the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern R.R. Four minutes' walk to Salmon Bay and one mile to the Lake Cove car shops. This beautiful locality is particularly suited for the location of homes, as it is within easy reach of the Seattle center by rail or carriage road. With the numerous industries already there, and the mills and units that have pledged to locate there within the next few months, there will be openings for hundreds of mechanics, etc., in fact all kinds of skilled and unskilled labor. A schoolhouse is on the ground for the children. Prices: $175 to $200 per lot. One-third cash, one-third in three months, remainder in six months at 8 percent. The most profitable investment in the city.
“Collect instead of pay rents. Be your own landlord.”
The promotional language of 1888 feels eerily familiar to today's Seattle real estate listings, promising proximity to transit and a 'future great city.' While the specific development at 'Palatine Hill' in the Salmon Bay area did not become the industrial powerhouse promised, it highlights the enduring cycle of speculative development that continues to define Seattle's expansion.
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