The Pioneer Fever: Why Aberdeen's First Business Leaders Stayed
Early commercial titans share the accidents, rainy days, and raw optimism that led them to build a city on the muddy banks of Grays Harbor.
A number of our leading and prosperous business men have been questioned concerning the cause of their presence in the 'Queen City' of Grays Harbor. James Patterson, a bank director, recalled arriving during a rainy season in the late 1880s: 'The trip down was so tiresome and rough that I concluded I would stay here until the roads were better if I had to wait six months. Well, it did rain nearly six months, and by the time it stopped I was of the opinion that Aberdeen would be a big place in a few years, and invested what money I had.' C. W. Parnell, a tailor, found himself stranded by a lack of funds to reach Seattle, only to find success in the local market. N.G. Kaufman, of Toklas & Kaufman, noted that when they opened their branch, Aberdeen was a 'shabby looking little village,' but choice corner lots on Heron Street that cost $300 are now worth upwards of $10,000.
“The trip down was so tiresome and rough that I concluded I would stay here until the roads were better if I had to wait six months.”
This oral history captures the 'frontier' mindset of 1890s Aberdeen, where land speculation and raw chance defined the city's early economic development. Today, the names Patterson and Kaufman persist in our local landmarks and historical record, reminding us that our modern urban footprint was built on a mix of strategic investment and sheer persistence against the rain.
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