A Young Seattle's Ambition
A correspondent reports on the rapid development of Seattle in 1861, highlighting the construction of the Territorial University building.
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.
There is a marked difference between Seattle and other towns upon the Sound. The stranger is really surprised at the neat appearance of the buildings. The inhabitants are nearly all permanent settlers. The most important feature of the town now is the University building, in process of erection upon a beautiful site donated by Arthur A. Denny. It is situated about half a mile from the center of town. The building is a heavy frame, 50 by 80 feet, with a base of dressed stone. It is of the Corinthian order. The principal contracts were awarded to Mr. Pike, the architect, and Mr. Russell. Messrs. Libby & Suffron have purchased a scow which they are fitting up for a steamboat to run up the White River this fall.
“A portion of our citizens here make money by attending to their own business, and the rest make a very good business by letting other people's business alone.”
This account captures the specific moment when Seattle began to style itself as an urban center, focusing on the construction of the University of Washington's original downtown campus. It underscores the city's long-standing reliance on boosters to attract development and settlers.
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