The Price of Fortification: Seattle Landowners Win Big Jury Verdict Against Federal Government
A federal jury in Port Orchard has valued land for a new military fort at $185,000—nearly double the government's appraisal. Officials warn the deal may collapse if the price is too steep.
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.
TO SECURE TITLE Army Site Lands Condemned by the Government
The condemnation suits brought by the government to secure title to lands for the use of fortifications at Port Orchard came to an end yesterday. About 870 acres of land were condemned and were appraised by the jury at $185,000. This is thought to be excessively high, and as it is not obligatory on the part of the government to accept the lands, First Attorney Gay is of the opinion that there will be some hesitation if indeed the site is accepted at all.
The land had all been appraised by government officials, who had instructions to give the highest marketable value. Witnesses for the landowners swore to values two and three times those awarded by the jury. The verdict was a compromise between the government values and those of the landowners.
Captain Harry Taylor, U.S.A., is in charge of the Port Orchard fortifications, and Attorney Gay, counsel for the government, thinks the value of the lands estimated by the jury as rather high, and are of the opinion that the government may hesitate to accept the land. The public, it is understood, is not to buy the land at the price fixed by the jury.
This 1899 story captures an early tension between federal military expansion and local property rights in Washington State. While today's debates often center on zoning and affordable housing, this historical moment highlights how infrastructure and defense projects have long displaced private landowners, forcing them to rely on legal juries to determine fair compensation against government appraisals.
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