The Future of Seattle
Prominent local businessman John Leary returns from New York with word that the city is set to become the terminal of two major railroads.
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.
John Leary, Esq., who has been on an extended trip to New York, arrived home last night. In a conversation with him, we were authorized to state, on Mr. Villard's authority, that the future of Seattle rests with the people themselves. Seattle will be virtually the terminus of two great lines of railway: the Northern Pacific by the first of September next, and the Oregon and California within twelve months afterwards. The headquarters of the Oregon Improvement Company are in Seattle, and all the products of King County will be shipped from Seattle by that company. This city is now its grand distributing point and will continue to be. Arrangements were also perfected for an abundant supply of fresh water by the first of August. On the whole, we feel that the future greatness of Seattle as a commercial center is assured, and that within the next five years our population will exceed 50,000 people.
“The future of Seattle rests with the people themselves.”
In 1883, Seattle's growth was entirely tethered to the whims of railroad barons and the 'greatness' of the booster class. Today, the city struggles with the same boom-and-bust anxiety, though the focus has shifted from transcontinental rail access to the infrastructure required to house a population that did eventually eclipse that 50,000 estimate by several hundred thousand.
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