The Pioneer Baker of Seattle
A rare glimpse into the early daily life and food infrastructure of a growing Seattle.
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.
Surrah Bakeri, Seattle, W.T. I. Meydenbaher, Prop'r. Manufactures all kinds of Ship and Pilot Bread. Also, Soda, Picnic, Boston, Sugar, Milk, Fancy and Hand-Made Crackers, Cakes, etc. Goods shipped to all parts of the Sound at short notice. Tables furnished with kiln-dried biscuits, on Mill Street, for lunch purposes, both wholesale and retail in first-class Groceries and Provisions. Sole Agent for Dynamite, Giant Powder, all kinds of Cartridges, Fuse, etc. Cash paid for Wheat. Prices moderate.
“Sole Agent for Dynamite, Giant Powder, all kinds of Cartridges, Fuse, etc.”
This notice captures a bizarre, pre-regulatory era where a single storefront might sell both delicate crackers and high-grade industrial explosives. It serves as a reminder that early Seattle was a raw, frontier port where the line between domestic pantry staples and mining demolition gear was practically non-existent.
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