The Great Seattle Construction Boom of 1878
Falling material costs spark a building frenzy in the frontier town, signaling a rapid expansion for early property owners.
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.
There never was a time in the history of Seattle that buildings could be built as cheap as at the present. Rough and dressed lumber is now offered 25 per cent less than it was a few months ago, and brick and other building materials have been correspondingly reduced. With $500, it is at present possible to build a very comfortable and fine-appearing cottage. The following is a partial list of those who have erected dwelling houses during the summer: Mr. Chilberg, J. Leary, E. S. Ingraham, Jesse W. George, Amasa S. Miller, D. Kellogg, O. S. Jones, W. H. Surber, R. Denny, S. Kenney, D. S. Smith and T. Coulter. In addition to these, John Sullivan’s block of three stores is rapidly approaching completion and is now nearly ready for the plasterers.
“There never was a time in the history of Seattle that buildings could be built as cheap as at the present.”
In 1878, Seattle was experiencing a buyer's market for timber and bricks that allowed for an affordable housing boom. Today, the names of the men listed—Denny, Leary, Chilberg—are etched onto the city's streets and neighborhoods, a stark reminder of how early real estate investment solidified the generational wealth and land-use patterns that define the modern, high-cost Seattle.
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