The 3,249-Acre Map That Laid Out Seattle’s Waterfront

The plat of the tide lands of Seattle has been officially fixed and appraised. The board of appraisers for King county yesterday filed with the board of state land commissioners, the county auditor and the city clerk a plat of the main portion of the tide lands, in accordance with the requirements of the tide land law. Beginning yesterday, persons who have made valuable improvements, or who own abutting shore land, will have the prior right of purchase for sixty days.

The copy filed with the city clerk was accompanied by a communication to Mayor Byron Phelps explaining the principles behind the work. The board reported that it had completed surveying and platting the tide lands within the corporate limits of Seattle and within two miles. The plats had been filed at the King county courthouse and at Olympia.

“The work was more extensive and expensive than was contemplated in the beginning,” the board wrote, “but it is believed to be the better in consequence of the time, care and study given it. So great and important work should not be done hastily. Too much haste in the past has involved the city of Seattle in misfortunes and troubles that keep the authorities constantly employed in remedial and corrective labors, accompanied with aggravations innumerable, delays, costs, etc., forcibly illustrating the familiar saying: ‘The more hurry the less speed.’”

The board sought advice from the common council, the Chamber of Commerce, citizens, ship and railroad men, surveyors, engineers and experts. The common sentiment favored a larger and broader system than had obtained on the upland: longer blocks, wider streets, fewer of both; room for manufactories, slips and piers; and easy movement of cars over the tide lands. They engaged V. G. Bogue, the well-known civil engineer and former chief engineer of the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific, who toured eastern and western cities before returning with his report.

“Seattle Tide Lands,” as the platted area was called, covered 3,249 acres. The blocks varied in size—many 600 feet square, still more 600 by 1,200 feet, and some larger. Streets were generally 100 feet wide; avenues 120, 130, 150, 200 and 250 feet. Corners had been cut off in places to facilitate trade. The board said the city would not repeat on the tide lands the troubles it had experienced on the upland with widening streets and cutting off corners.

Thirty-two miles of shore line were paralleled by receiving streets to which upland thoroughfares extended. Beyond them to the harbor line lay large blocks from 600 and 800 to 1,400 feet long. Two avenues were reserved for railroad, wagon and traffic: Railroad avenue, running from one mile north of Ballard almost to West Point and junctioning with another Railroad avenue one mile south of Smith’s cove, six miles long and 130 to 150 feet wide; and the second Railroad avenue, from Smith’s cove to one mile south of Duwamish head, six miles in all, 100 to 150 feet wide. With Duwamish and Walla Walla avenues, they would let railroads reach the city front by way of Ballard, Smith’s cove, Meadow point, West point, Alki point and the Duwamish valley.

The board warned that the railroads were not located on the avenue as they should be, crossing and recrossing it. It urged that no franchises be given to build down the middle of the road without leaving room on each side for wagon tracks and sidewalks, and that no road receive more than it absolutely required, so that other lines desiring to enter the city might not be kept out. “It is not saying too much, we believe, to assert that Seattle now has a more perfect system of railway thoroughfare than any city in the country, if not in the world,” the board wrote.

The wide thoroughfares were called avenues and, except Railroad, given Washington state names. Streets over the main body of the tide lands, in the southern part of the city and at West Seattle, were named after states—Alaska, Texas, Dakota, Massachusetts, Colorado, Tennessee and the like. From a point a mile north of Smith’s cove the alphabet was used from A to Z, ending two miles north of Ballard. City names ran alphabetically from Allegheny to Sacramento between A street and Lake avenue in North Seattle. Seven streets were named after governors: Stevens, Pickering, Moore, Ferry, McGraw, Semple and Cole.

The appraisement ranged from $15 to $20,000 an acre and had occupied nearly six months. The Ballard plat had been filed at $50 to $125 an acre; the King county half of Tacoma harbor, 781 acres, was valued at $25 to $260 an acre; and the Seattle plat of 3,240 acres made an aggregate of more than 4,000 acres of tide land in front of incorporated cities in King county, appraised at nearly $600,000. The board believed the sale of tide lands would yield Seattle a fund of not less than $300,000, available for substantial and permanent harbor improvements. It also suggested a sea wall on Railroad avenue.

The legislature had removed every question as to the legality of tide land streets platted by such a board and had placed them under the control of the city councils. The board signed its report: “The task assigned to us has been conscientiously executed. We believe that the work has been well done.” It was signed by Fred W. Sparling, Thomas W. Prosser and D. A. McKenzie.