The Sudden Passing of a Seattle Titan
Guy C. Phinney, the wealthy capitalist and benefactor of Woodland Park, dies at his estate following a brief illness.
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.
Guy C. Phinney, the well-known capitalist, died at his summer house at Woodland Park last evening. Phinney, a Nova Scotia native who arrived in Seattle penniless after a shipwreck, became a major real estate developer. He was responsible for the Butler Block, the Phinney Block, and most notably, the development of Woodland Park, which he outfitted with a hotel, electric railway, and an exotic zoo. His death at age 41 was attributed to uremic poisoning. He was known for his blunt manner and strong Democratic convictions, though he often acted as a civic patron for the city.
“If any one ever goes to heaven you will, for you have been so good to me always, while I have done so little for you.”
Phinney's legacy is physically etched into Seattle through Woodland Park, which remains one of the city's most significant public spaces. His story reflects the rapid rise and fall of Gilded Age speculators who shaped the city's topography during its formative expansion years.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.