The Fight for Seattle’s Rail Future
In 1878, a local leader rallied Seattle to demand federal land reform and a railroad connection, decrying the influence of corporate interests over the prosperity of the Territory.
Notwithstanding the drenching rain and general inclemency of the weather, Yesler’s Hall was filled at an early hour last evening by an appreciative audience assembled to listen to an address by Hon. J. J. McGilvra in relation to the public lands, railroads, and other interests of our Territory. Mayor Weed served as chairman of the meeting. Mr. McGilvra addressed the audience for over an hour, detailing the struggle to restore public lands to settlement, particularly in relation to the Northern Pacific Railroad. He argued that the current congressional legislation must be guided by the interests of the masses rather than the bondholders and capitalists. McGilvra specifically championed the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, arguing that it would secure Seattle’s position as the metropolis of Washington Territory. He criticized the 'unjust Oregon scheme' that sought to prioritize Portland's rail interests over Seattle's, and lamented the lack of local financial support for his lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., noting he had personally spent $200 of his own money to fight for the people's land rights.
“The interests of the masses must hereafter be the guide for legislation.”
The tension between Seattle’s growth as a 'metropolis' and the interference of distant corporate interests mirrors the city's long-standing struggles with transit expansion and land-use politics. Then, as now, the promise of a railroad was viewed as the fundamental key to economic sovereignty.
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