The Ferry Fight on the Duwamish
A contest over a river crossing franchise exposes the competition for infrastructure and land rights along the lower Duwamish in 1876.
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 County Commissioners met in the Colman building yesterday morning, with Messrs. Yesler, McMillan, and Horton present. The first business of the session was a hearing to test the right to a ferry on the lower Duwamish. The franchise of Mr. Miller, the present holder, having expired, he petitioned for a renewal of his rights, but Mr. Mutin contested this. The latter claims the title to the ground on both sides of the river and applies for the charter.
“The first business of the session was a hearing to test the right to a ferry on the lower Duwamish.”
Long before the Duwamish was industrialized and dredged, controlling simple access to the riverbanks was a significant point of contention. This dispute highlights how early territorial governance functioned as a mediator for land ownership claims long before major bridges reshaped the geography of Seattle.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.