John Leary’s Lake Washington Mill
Capitalists launch a new manufacturing venture connected to the city’s water supply.
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.
Another joint stock company has been formed in this city with a capital stock of $100,000, which will be run in connection with the Spring Hill Water Company. The corporate name is the Spring Hill Manufacturing Company, and its incorporators are Messrs. John Leary, Bailey Gatzert, and H.H. McWilliams. The object is to erect a sawmill and sash, door and furniture factory on the shores of Lake Washington, in Burke's Second Addition, adjoining the pumping works of the Spring Hill Water Company, from which they will get their power. In consideration of the use of this power, the Manufacturing Company agrees to furnish the fuel and do the pumping for the Water Company. The new corporation has secured five blocks of water front on Lake Washington. Mr. McWilliams, the engineer who built the great flouring mills at Stockton, California, is the Superintendent of the Spring Hill Water Company and is currently in San Francisco superintending the machinery. The sawmill will be turning out lumber before the 1st day of April, 1884.
“One thing is settled, no community that wishes to prosper can have too many John Learys within its borders.”
This reflects the early industrialization of the Lake Washington waterfront, which later shifted from mills to residential and parkland. John Leary’s aggressive infrastructure development, including the Spring Hill Water Company, set the stage for the city's rapid expansion in the late 19th century.
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