The Sudden Rise of West Seattle

Only six months since, the promontory that forms the boundary of Elliott Bay was covered with a dense growth of timber and almost inaccessible. Today, it is one of the most promising suburbs on Puget Sound. Last June, a party of capitalists, mostly from San Francisco, purchased the entire southern portion of the plateau and immediately began the work of clearing off the timber and underbrush. Streets were located to accord with the contour of the ground, and the blocks and lots were laid out with the idea of a full frontage on every thoroughfare. The speculative theory of these capitalists was that the future site of West Seattle was to be the northern terminus of the great Southern Pacific system of railways. The Seattle & Southern Railway Company was incorporated, and the positive assurance was obtained that this road would be built. West Seattle is easily reached from this city by means of the new steam ferryboat City of Seattle, which made its trip on the 28th of December. The run from the wharf of the West Seattle Improvement Company, located at the foot of Main Street, is made in eight minutes. The company’s wharves are the terminus of the projected Grand and Cascade avenues of West Seattle, which diverge just beyond the landing and make their winding ascent to the plateau of the promontory at the easy grade of seven feet in every hundred. Along Sunset avenue will reside the nabobs. A number of very handsome residences have been contracted for already. There is not a bad location on the whole plain, and the nearness of the lots to the water only makes them the more desirable.