St. Louis Capitalists Arrive to Bankroll Seattle's Waterfront
A delegation of wealthy Missouri investors arrives in Seattle to inspect the proposed South Lake Washington canal and tide flat reclamation projects.
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.
A party of St. Louis capitalists interested in the building of the South Lake Washington canal and the filling in of the tide flats are now guests of the city, having arrived last evening from the East over the Burlington and Northern Pacific. The party is composed of twelve of St. Louis' most substantial citizens. All of the visitors are enthusiastic as to the building of the canal, and most of them are subscribers to the bonds of the Seattle and Lake Washington Waterway Company. When they look over the site of the improvements and are thus convinced of their wisdom by a personal impression, they will back the scheme with their money and make the construction of the canal assured.
“When they look over the site of the improvements and are thus convinced of their wisdom by a personal impression, they will back the scheme with their money.”
This 1895 visit highlights the era of 'boosterism' where Seattle’s growth was often contingent on securing outside capital for massive infrastructure projects. The 'tide flats' mentioned were the industrial heart of the city for a century, and the canal project eventually evolved into the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which remains a vital, if contentious, piece of Seattle's maritime infrastructure.
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