After the Bankruptcy, a Mill Town Bets on a Bonanza: Utsalady's 1877 Rebound
In a single March week, the Camano Island mill town of Utsalady snapped back from bankruptcy: a $30,000 mill sale, workmen arriving by steamer, plans for a new wharf — and a showman who decided to stay.
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.
Dr. T. C. Mackey, who arrived from Utsalady last night, informs us that the greatest activity prevails at that point. The steamer Favorite reached there yesterday with a large party of men who will at once proceed to put the mill in order. A new wharf is to be built and a large warehouse for the storage of grain. The Doctor is so much pleased with the prospect that he has removed thither for the practice of his profession.
Samuel D. Howe, assignee in bankruptcy for this estate, was in town yesterday and filed his report of the sale with Judge Lewis. Any objections to this sale must be made to James Seavy, clerk of the Court at Port Townsend, before noon on the 20th inst., or it will stand confirmed as made. In his management of the affairs of the concern, Mr. Howe has earned the good-will of all with whom he has come in contact. To the creditors he has been indeed 'the right man in the right place.' He was determined that so valuable a piece of property should not be sold for a song, so he bid it up to $30,000 in behalf of the creditors of the concern. It was 'dirt cheap' at those figures and will clear itself inside of two years. If half what we hear is true in reference to future business operations at that point, the purchasers will have a bonanza in local trade alone, to say nothing of what lumber is exported abroad.
Billy Ballou (the veritable Joggles, himself) went down to Utsalady by the Libby yesterday and will make that his stamping ground hereafter.
“If half what we hear is true in reference to future business operations at that point, the purchasers will have a bonanza in local trade alone, to say nothing of what lumber is exported abroad.”
Utsalady's flurry of 1877 optimism was another turn in the boom-and-bust cycle that built every Puget Sound mill town — bankruptcy one year, bonanza talk the next. Rural Washington still tells the same story today, betting on a mill reopening, a new wharf or a big investor to bring a town back from the brink; sometimes the bet pays off, and sometimes the mill closes again.
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