Mapping the Waterfront: The Battle for Seattle's Harbors
A critical report by the Chamber of Commerce warns that without a proactive plan for public waterways, the city's future commerce will be throttled by legal gridlock.
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.
An important memorial to the state land commissioners on the subject of waterways in Seattle harbor was adopted by the trustees of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. The memorial questions whether it would not be better to make provisions for all public waterways through the harbor rim before appraisal and disposal of tide lands. It argues that if applications to purchase by abutting owners are finalized before proper waterways are located, serious litigation would result, delaying commercial expansion and forcing the state to condemn land at enormous cost. The Chamber proposes a main waterway running from the mouth of the Duwamish River, at least 600 feet wide, with subsidiary channels to the east and west, to ensure the state retains control over access to deep water.
“In the light of these considerations it appears to the chamber to be of the most urgent importance that the proper waterways for the harbor of Seattle should be located and established.”
This is a foundational moment in Seattle's history: the effort to prevent the private enclosure of the Duwamish and Elliott Bay. The tension between public access to water and the private ownership of 'tide lands' persists in contemporary fights over waterfront development and port usage.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.