The Land Grab at Smith's Corner: How Lewis & Gilman Are Selling Seattle's Future
While the rest of the city debates prices and politics, a powerful duo is quietly converting the terminus of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway into a goldmine, with lots selling out in days.
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 land at the S. L. S. & E. Railway terminus at Smith's Corner, known as Gilman's Addition, is being sold by Lewis & Gilman, who have exclusive control. It has been on the market only a week but a large number of sales have been made. As the business of the railway increases, these lots must become of great value for business purposes. Most of the purchasers intend to build on their lots immediately and will erect dwellings or stores. Some of the parties have their lumber already on the ground. The property is reached in a few minutes by the suburban train of the S. L. S. & E. from the Mill Street station.
This 1901 report on 'Gilman's Addition' captures the speculative frenzy that defined Seattle's early growth, where railway access dictated real estate value—a dynamic that still drives modern development around light rail and transit hubs. The rapid turnover of lots for immediate construction mirrors today's high-density housing pushes, reminding us that the tension between land speculation and community need is as old as the city itself.
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