The Canal That Would Invent South Seattle
At meetings in Georgetown and River Park, property owners pledged land, cash, and labor to a waterway scheme they promised would drain the Duwamish and turn tide flats into gold.
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.
An enthusiastic meeting was held on Monday in the interest of the Seattle & Lake Washington Waterway Company. D. E. Durie explained that the legislature had passed a bill providing for filling the tide flats and securing the rights under the bill. A trip of the financial agents of the company to St. Louis followed, and the money necessary to dig the canal was secured. Mr. Durie told of the good effect the filling of the tide flats and the digging of the canal would have on South Seattle property. This evoked a loud round of applause. He said the canal would relieve the Duwamish of considerable water and prevent overflow and floods.
William D. Wood told of the immense benefits that would accrue from the construction of the canal. The people of Seattle and King county had the matter of the construction of the canal in their own hands, and they could have it dug or not, just as they elected. All they had to do was to raise the subsidy for the locks and bridges over the big waterways, and the canal would be constructed and the tide flats filled in. Now was an opportunity for the people of this section to show that King county was the greatest county and Seattle the greatest city in the state by leading off in the direction of better times by starting and finishing this great work.
George Newell, the South Seattle millman, spoke in favor of helping the canal. B. Phelps, who is a large owner of land in South Seattle, also spoke in favor of helping the canal in all legitimate ways. Then there were a number of offers of subsidies of land on the part of residents of Georgetown and farmers and others from the adjoining country. Some men who own a single lot offered to donate a few days' work to help the work along.
Another large meeting of residents and property owners in River Park was held at Middleton's Hall, River Park, last evening. Dr. J. E. Mooers presided. D. E. Durie explained the plans of the company in much the same terms as on the previous night at Georgetown, and stated that no subsidies were payable until the canal waterway was completed and formally opened. W. D. Wood drew attention to the advantages which accrue to property owners in the valleys from the excavation of the waterways and draining off of the flood waters. John Prentice and several others spoke in enthusiastic support of the canal, and several persons pledged substantial subsidies. Other meetings will be held in different localities in the course of the week.
“Now was an opportunity for the people of this section to show that King county was the greatest county and Seattle the greatest city in the state by leading off in the direction of better times by starting and finishing this great work.”
The Duwamish tide flats were eventually filled and industrialized, and the waterway became today's Duwamish Waterway—now a Superfund site. The 1895 meeting shows how Seattle's growth was sold as a package of private profit and public infrastructure, with property owners asked to buy into the vision.
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