The Boom Town Hustle
In 1876, a frantic race to build and occupy new structures captures the rapid, speculative growth of Snohomish.
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.
As an instance of the great fertility and richness of the soil in Snohomish city and vicinity, we can cite you to a gentleman who has planted the foundation posts for a two-story dwelling and expects to raise an elegant building the following week. We are also reliably informed that a lady, well known here, has purchased a lot for the purpose of putting up a building to be occupied as a first-class millinery establishment. We have not the slightest doubt but that our information is correct and that the lady in question will receive a cordial welcome and hearty support.
“We have not the slightest doubt but that our information is correct and that the lady in question will receive a cordial welcome and hearty support.”
The 1876 obsession with clearing land and erecting 'elegant' new buildings mirrors Snohomish’s modern identity as a place where real estate development and historic preservation constantly clash. Just as the settlers of 1876 raced to build before the market changed, today's residents grapple with the legacy of that rapid, speculative expansion.
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