The Sewing Machine Status Symbol
In 1878, a list of Snohomish's most prominent citizens was published to prove the ubiquity—and social necessity—of the Singer sewing machine in the frontier town.
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.
All persons desirous of purchasing a sewing machine will please note the names of prominent citizens of Snohomish City, owning and using the standard machine of the world—The Singer. Mrs. John Elwell, A. A. Blackman, W. F. Eddy, Judge Haskell, W. H. White, J. H. Hilton, H. S. Hanson, Joseph Getchell, Simon Elwell, Allen McDougal, and Capt. Stretch. Machines are sold at $5 to $10 per month, and a liberal discount is made for cash, or secured notes taken on six months time without interest.
“All persons desirous of purchasing a sewing machine will please note the names of prominent citizens of Snohomish City, owning and using the standard machine of the world.”
This advertisement functions as a 19th-century 'social proof' marketing campaign. Just as modern influencers use brand endorsements to signal status, these prominent Snohomish families used the ownership of a Singer machine to signal their participation in the burgeoning industrial domesticity of the Pacific Northwest.
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