The Great Seattle Land Rush: West Seattle and Lake Union Lots Vanish in Days
As the city expands beyond its original hills, developers are selling off prime waterfront real estate at bargain prices before the next boom hits.
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.
TO INVESTORS Lost Seattle Bargains - Do Not Delay, Prices will be Advanced in a Very Short Time.
POINT ADDITION to WEST SEATTLE. Only 10 minutes walk from the Ferry Landing. Title Perfect Lots are Hour Being Changed. This Subdivision is located in WEST SEATTLE, Commanding a Fine View of the Mountain Ranges, Admiralty Inlet, Elliott Bay, and the Queen City. We offer these lots for $100, $150, $200, $250, $300 and $350 Each for 20 days only. TERMS: One-half cash, balance in one year, without interest. No interest on deferred Payments. APPLY TO R. M. HOPKINS, McNaught Building, Commercial Street, Seattle, or GEORGE M. VAN DOREN, Room 16, Colonial Block.
WILL SELL A LARGE NUMBER OF Desirable Building Lots IN LAKE UNION ADDITION. That property is within three minutes walk of EDgewater Depot, ON THE Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway. COMMUTATION FARE 10 CTS. Level, gently sloping to the water front. Beautiful views of Mount Rainier and Elliott Bay. STEAMER LATONA runs every hour from foot of Lake Union track, two minutes to EDGewater. In connection with the car, for $500's FARE. Price of these lots FULL-SIZED LOTS IS NOW OWING: CORNERS $225 Terms will be Changed January 15th. AT CARRIAGE REPOSITORY on Front and Bell Street. ONLY A FEW LEFT OF OUR Popular Lots MADISON STREET. THEY ARE GOING FAST. We are Offering Them AT LOW PRICES IN ORDER TO Lose Them Out Quickly. TITLE GUARANTEED BY THE Seattle Title Insurance & Trust Co.
This 1890 advertisement captures the speculative fever that defined Seattle's early growth, particularly in West Seattle and Lake Union. Just as today's housing market is driven by fears of missing out on appreciation and rapid gentrification, these developers used urgency (
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