The Price of Survival in 1871 Seattle
A rare glimpse into the grocery and labor economy of the Washington Territory through the lens of a local market report.
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.
Wheat is $2.00 per cental. Flour, best brands, $1.50 to $9.00. Oats, 3 to 4 cents. Butter, 25 to 35 cents per pound. Eggs, 35 to 40 cents per dozen. Fresh beef, wholesale, 8 to 10 cents per pound; pork, 15 to 18 cents. The market highlights the daily struggle of the pioneer economy where commodities like flour, meat, and grain defined the cost of living long before the city expanded into the metropolis it is today.
“The wonder is how so good a machine can be sold at so low a price.”
Comparing these 1871 prices to modern Seattle grocery costs illustrates the massive shift in purchasing power and the fundamental way urban development has changed our relationship to local food sourcing. What was once a collection of waterfront markets selling beef and butter has evolved into a globalized tech hub, yet the anxiety surrounding the cost of basic goods remains a constant thread in Seattle's history.
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