Railroads Battle for Seattle's Tide Flats
Multiple railroad companies propose a sweeping reconfiguration of Seattle's waterfront, including a union terminal and the removal of Railroad Avenue, as the city's tide lands become the prize of a growing transportation war.
The story, cleaned up
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The several railroads doing business in the city have made several suggestions to the tide land appraisers for the platting of the tide lands which involve an entire rearrangement of the tracks on the water front and the removal of Railroad avenue nearer the shore so that the street can be extended overhead to the wharves. The suggestion is made that Railroad avenue be removed and joined to West and Water streets. Railroad avenue and West street have a combined width of about 230 feet and can be made into one street, thereby becoming more advantageous to both the railroads and the people.
The railroad people have also presented plans for union terminal grounds on the tide lands in the southern part of the city in the vicinity of Commercial street, the plans admitting of both freight and passenger traffic. The railroad men say their suggestions are made with a desire to simplify the railroad and steamboat situation which is now occupying the attention of local merchants.
Among the railroad men who, responding to invitations, have called on the appraiser within the past few days offering suggestions were J. M. Ashton, attorney, and E. H. McHenry, chief engineer for the Northern Pacific; C. J. Smith, general manager, and B. Bush, general superintendent of the Oregon Improvement Company; Newman Kline, superintendent of the Lake road, Judge Thomas Burke, of the Great Northern road. The Ballard city council will appear before the board some day next week and discuss all affairs relating to the tide lands.
“The railroad people have also presented plans for union terminal grounds on the tide lands in the southern part of the city in the vicinity of Commercial street, the plans admitting of both freight and passenger traffic.”
The battle over Seattle's waterfront and tide lands in 1894 echoes today's fights over land use, transportation infrastructure, and who gets to shape the city's shoreline. The railroads' push for union terminals and street realignments was an early example of private interests remaking public space—a tension that still defines Seattle's growth debates.
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