The City Goes to the Polls in 1878
A rare glimpse into the logistical footprint of Seattle’s civic life during the era of wooden sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages.
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 Annual City Election for the city of Seattle will be held on Monday, July 8, 1878, at the following named places in the separate wards, at which time there is to be elected a Mayor, City Marshal, two Councilmen for first Ward, three Councilmen for second ward, and two Councilmen for third ward.
Ward No. 1. Election to be held in the building at the corner of Washington street and Palmer's Alley. Wm. Montgomery was appointed Inspector, and Chas. Nether and J. A. McPhee were appointed Judges. Edward Reynolds and L. M. Rainin were appointed Clerks.
Ward No. 2. Election to be held at the Council room. O. C. Shorey was appointed Inspector. W. W. Barker and S. W. Russell were appointed Judges, and S. C. Hunt and W. S. Hanks were appointed Clerks.
Ward No. 3. Election to be held at the Third street Market. Charles Wimmer was appointed Inspector. James Buzby and Moses Keeler were appointed Judges, and D. B. Ward and E. S. Ingraham were appointed Clerks.
“The Annual City Election for the city of Seattle will be held on Monday, July 8, 1878.”
This notice captures a time when Seattle was small enough to hold its entire municipal election in a few neighborhood markets and offices. Today, the scale of our civic process has expanded massively, yet the foundational necessity of local oversight—the appointment of inspectors, judges, and clerks—remains a persistent echo of the democratic ritual.
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