The Secretive Coal King of Seattle
James M. Colman is quietly opening the McCallister mine, signaling a new industrial play near Renton.
Ever since Mr. James M. Colman’s return from Europe, people have expected him to inaugurate major enterprises, as he is a man of wealth and energy. He works quietly, but it is now clear he has purchased the McCallister coal mine near Renton from George O. Davis of San Francisco. Mr. Colman has entered an agreement with Captain Samuel Blair of San Francisco, who owns a fleet of ships, to transport the coal to the Bay City. The only remaining hurdle is negotiating transportation rates from the mine to the Seattle city front; if the railroad companies are uncooperative, Colman intends to build his own road. The coal will be shipped from Colman’s private water block, located north of Yesler’s wharf.
“He works, however, very quietly, and it is difficult sometimes to find out just what he intends to do until he is about it.”
James M. Colman was a titan of Seattle's early industrial age, and his ability to leverage private rail and wharf infrastructure to bypass monopolistic rail rates is a precursor to modern-day fights over public access to the waterfront. His influence remains etched in Seattle’s physical geography, including the Colman Dock, which still serves as a central hub for the city’s ferry system.
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