The Snohomish Exchange Hotel: A Frontier Hub
Before the city grew into a modern commercial hub, Isaac Cathcart’s Exchange Hotel stood as the cornerstone of early Snohomish hospitality.
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.
Exchange Hotel, Snohomish City, W. T. This hotel is the best in Snohomish County in every respect. First-class board is always furnished at moderate rates. The bar is supplied with the best wines and liquors north of San Francisco. Also a first-class billiard table to accommodate the patrons of this house. Isaac Cathcart, Proprietor.
“The bar is supplied with the best wines and liquors north of San Francisco.”
Today's Snohomish remains famous for its historic architecture and hospitality. Isaac Cathcart’s claim that his bar stocked the best goods 'north of San Francisco' highlights how early frontier businesses relied on marketing their connection to established urban centers like San Francisco to attract weary pioneers.
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