Railroad Claims Tide Lands South of Seattle's King Street
The Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad asserts exclusive control over tide lands south of King Street.
The Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad Company hereby gives notice that it claims the exclusive right to tide lands south of King Street, in the city of Seattle, and that all persons are hereby notified to refrain from occupying or entering upon any of said lands without the written consent of said Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad Company.
“All persons are hereby notified to refrain from occupying or entering upon any of said lands without the written consent of said Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad Company.”
This 1886 notice marks a pivotal moment in Seattle history where private rail interests secured the waterfront, dictating the city's industrial development for the next century. Modern efforts to reclaim the waterfront for public use are a direct counter-movement to this legacy of exclusive ownership.
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