The Price of Ownership in 1870
Before the city was paved, the Snohomish County tax roll reveals the families and founders who staked their claims on the frontier.
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.
Notice is hereby given that the tax list and warrant issued by the Auditor of Snohomish County to the Treasurer of said county, requiring the collection of delinquent taxes, was received by the Treasurer on the 20th day of November, 1870. The list covers parcels of land upon which there are taxes due and unpaid for the year 1869, as well as delinquent taxes of previous years. Notice is further given that on the 3rd day of January next, I will at my office in Snohomish City, proceed to sell the lands of those delinquent for taxes. Dated this 20th day of November, A.D. 1870. Lot Wilbur, Treasurer of Snohomish County, W.T.
“I will at my office in Snohomish City, proceed to sell the lands of those delinquent for taxes.”
This 1870 tax record serves as a stark reminder that the geography of Snohomish was established through rigid land-ownership, a system that continues to shape the region's current housing affordability crisis. These names—Blackman, Getchell, and Smith—form the literal foundation of modern Snohomish city street names and districts.
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