The Curse of the Mossback Landowner
An editorial critique of local speculators and property owners blamed for stalling Aberdeen's growth during the post-boom downturn.
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.
The term 'Mossback' has come into use on the Pacific coast to describe a class of men who stand in the way of progress. Unlike an 'old fogy,' the mossback sits on land, waiting for gain while arresting the growth of the community. During the boom, these men bought property at fictitious values, often mortgaging them heavily. Today, they are 'holding the sack' with non-productive property and refuse to lower prices to allow for settlement or improvement. It would be to the advantage of the community if they would offer land to laborers willing to clear and cultivate it, rather than waiting for phantom buyers. It is time to shake off this 'mossbackism' and get down to business.
“There's a fascination about booms, as there is about gambling, which is hard to dispel.”
The 'mossback' critique is a foundational trope of Western frontier town-building, targeting owners who held land out of production for speculative gains. The tension between land speculation and the need for affordable housing and productive use remains a recurring theme in Washington’s civic discourse.
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