The Fight for Rail Dominance: Seattle vs. Portland
In 1877, Seattle newspapers were already sparring with Portland over land grants and regional infrastructure, revealing the early economic anxieties of a growing port city.
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.
The Oregonian says: 'All the Puget Sound papers which want the Northern Pacific grant defeated lest it be renewed in a way that may benefit Oregon, strongly commend the Mitchell bill. Among these journals is the Seattle DISPATCH. That paper is especially anxious that no road be built into Oregon. Its theory is that if this can be prevented, means will be found to get a road through from Seattle to Walla Walla, and its own town will thus obtain commercial preeminence over Portland.' Our 'sagacity' has never yet been equal to disguising our thoughts by words with covert meaning. Nobody need look for ulterior designs in any of our statements. In approving the main features of the Mitchell bill, we stated the reasons: the bill guards against monopoly by granting proceeds of land sales rather than fee simple title. The company has kept out of sale and settlement a large part of the territory west of the Cascades to the damage of the country. With its central position, splendid surroundings, and finest ocean port in the world, Seattle can have no rivalry with a town 120 miles in the interior.
“With its central position, splendid surroundings, and finest ocean port in the world, it can have no rivalry with a town 120 miles in the interior.”
This 1877 editorial highlights the historical roots of the Seattle-Portland rivalry. Much like modern regional debates over high-speed rail, regional connectivity and control of land rights remain flashpoints for city leaders seeking economic independence.
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