The Fight for Seattle's Unearned Land
A fiery mass meeting in Seattle erupts over the Northern Pacific Railway's grip on public lands.
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.
The excitement at Seattle upon the question of the unearned lands of the Northern Pacific Railway Company has reached fever heat. A second mass meeting was held on Thursday evening. It was addressed by several gentlemen, among them Mr. James McNaught, who is attorney for the Northern Pacific Company. Mr. McNaught said that he did not think the Seattleites were treating the company in a spirit of justice, and added that the line would bring the country happiness, wealth and prosperity. He then read a letter from Mr. Harris, president of the company, who promises to push the Cascades division of the road and pledged the company to treat Seattle with fairness. All the other speakers attacked the company and demanded that the public lands, which had been clearly forfeited, should be confiscated by the Government. The hostility against the Northern Pacific is very pronounced, and as Seattle is a wealthy, energetic and influential community, the agitation may result in the company losing the lands.
“The hostility against the Northern Pacific is very pronounced, and as Seattle is a wealthy, energetic and influential community, the agitation may result in the company losing the lands.”
This 1884 dispute captures the birth of Seattle's long-standing tug-of-war between private industrial giants and public interest. Much like modern battles over zoning and transit-oriented development, the question remains: does the growth machine serve the city, or do its shareholders?
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