Seattle Rallies to Fight the Railroad Monopoly
Citizens organize a mass meeting to challenge Northern Pacific Railroad's land grants and demand the forfeiture of unearned property.
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Yesterday, Yesler's Hall was crowded with citizens to hear the report of the committee selected to choose a representative to go to Washington D.C. to challenge the Northern Pacific Railroad's land grant. Mayor H. G. Struve called the meeting to order. The committee, led by Judge R. Lewis, recommended W. H. White as a delegate to represent the people’s interests. Mr. White accepted the position, declaring he would fight against the monopolistic practices that leave settlers unable to claim land that rightfully belongs to the public. The meeting also passed a resolution demanding that local assessors treat railroad property with the same taxation scrutiny as individual property, rejecting any legislative acts that might exempt the corporation from its fair share of taxes.
“Railroads can be built by enterprise and industry, without the giving away of these lands... It always results in making millionaires of a few, at the expense of the masses.”
This 1884 struggle over Northern Pacific land grants highlights the long-standing Seattle tradition of organizing against corporate power and monopolies. Today’s battles over land use and housing affordability echo these early efforts to keep public resources accessible to the populace rather than in the hands of distant corporate owners.
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