The Northern Pacific Stakes its Claim
Railroad giants bond the Dr. H. A. Smith farm for a new Seattle terminus.
During the past week, McNaught & Co. bonded the Dr. H. A. Smith place, three miles below town, for, it is understood, the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Mr. Thellsen, the chief engineer, visited Dr. Smith a couple of weeks ago and bargained for the property. The price to be paid is $40,000 and is extremely low. The property consists of 687 acres, lying beautifully, fronting on both Seattle and Salmon Bays, and with riparian rights on 900 acres more. No land in this vicinity is better adapted to the purposes of the great company than this. Here, the company will have ample room for docks, wharves, elevators, shops, and depots.
“No land in this vicinity is better adapted to the purposes of the great company than this.”
This 1883 transaction marks the exact moment the Northern Pacific Railroad secured the waterfront that would define Seattle's industrial growth for the next century. Today, these same areas, once described as perfect for 'docks and wharves,' are at the center of modern debates over shoreline redevelopment and environmental restoration.
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