The Riverfront Factory Boom
New manufacturing operations along the Snohomish River signal a growing industrial future for the region.
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.
In addition to Carkee’s stone cutting establishment, the foundry, and Mr. Campbell’s new blacksmith shop—which have been successfully launched on the Atkins and Blackman wharves—the Snohomish riverfront saw activity last week. Piles were driven at the lower end of the Atkins wharf for a new manufacturing establishment to be put there by Messrs. Hull and Paulson. Nearby, on the same side of the wharf, Messrs. Snyders and Platt are also preparing their new structures for their manufacturing businesses. These new industries, together with the construction of the Snohomish and Skykomish Valley railroad, now progressing so that it will soon be completed, will give a new impetus to the lower part of the city.
“These new industries... will soon give a new impetus to the lower part of the city.”
In the 1870s, Snohomish’s riverfront was the beating heart of a raw, industrial boom town. While the rail lines and wharves have long since transitioned into recreational areas and historic preservation sites, the town’s recurring struggle remains the same: balancing the drive for economic 'impetus' with the reality of living in a flood-prone, river-dependent landscape.
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