Russell Conwell Urges Tacoma to Find Its Own 'Acres of Diamonds'
The famous orator visits the First Christian Church to challenge Tacoma residents to recognize the latent wealth and potential in their own backyard.
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Moved by an uncontrollable desire to find a place where diamonds could be found in showers, a man sold his farm and started on the hunt. He never found the object of his search, but more discerning owners of the property he left discovered the land filled with the precious gems and they reveled in the luxuries of millions. This legend forms the introduction of the great lecture of Russell Conwell, 'Acres of Diamonds,' which he gave at the First Christian Church last night. Tacomans, he said, were like the searcher for the acres of diamonds; they were overlooking the wealth right in their dooryards. 'If you can't get rich in Tacoma you can't anywhere, for nowhere are the natural advantages so great,' he said. He especially urged his hearers to get into the manufacturing business and make something for the people's use.
“If you can't get rich in Tacoma you can't anywhere, for nowhere are the natural advantages so great.”
Conwell's 'Acres of Diamonds' was one of the most famous lectures in American history, arguing for self-improvement and local industry. In 1909, this boosterism perfectly captured Tacoma's aspiration to become a manufacturing hub, a sentiment that resonates today as the city navigates the shift from industrial roots to a modern knowledge-based economy.
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