The Seattle Doctor’s German Inheritance
After years in exile for his political views, a prominent Seattle physician reclaims a massive family estate.
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.
It is not often that a man becomes possessed of $3,000,000 at one fell swoop, but that is just what has happened to a Seattle citizen, Dr. Eugene Jordan. Some 17 years ago, Dr. Jordan, then a student at a German university, was known for his liberal views. Though the legal head of a family possessing estates valued at over $1,000,000, his outspoken political beliefs eventually forced him into exile to avoid arrest. He eventually settled in Seattle, where he built a lucrative medical practice. Following the death of Emperor William and a proclamation of amnesty by Frederick, the family estates, which had been confiscated, were ordered returned. After years of litigation, Dr. Jordan has finally unraveled the tangle with the help of his lawyers and the German minister, securing the massive fortune.
“It is not often that a man becomes possessed of that much at one fell swoop.”
This story highlights the long-standing connections between Pacific Northwest wealth and international capital. While the scale of $3 million in 1890 is staggering, the story of political refugees rebuilding lives in Seattle remains a central thread of the city's identity.
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