The Brick Boom: Snohomish Plans Two New Structures as Capital Floods In
While Seattle grows, its northern neighbor is laying the groundwork for a commercial renaissance with major real estate transfers and ambitious construction plans.
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.
Snohomish, Jan. 9. — The new year dawned most auspiciously upon this city. The accumulated capital, the enlarged manufacturing capacity, and the plans for large and costly new buildings within the present year, point to a remarkable growth for the future. Indeed, few towns on the Sound of the same size are so ablaze with activity and improvement as is this.
Two large brick buildings are already planned and the construction of these will soon begin. One is a large structure by L. Wilbur, to be used as a drug store. It will occupy the site of the present building, which will be moved to another locality. The new building will occupy one of the best sites in the city—the corner lot which was recently purchased by Mr. Wilbur from E. C. Ferguson.
The second is projected by H. S. Burns, and will occupy the present site of A.M. Blackman’s grocery and the Gold Bar restaurant, which building will be torn down or moved elsewhere.
Among the immigrants at present in swift inflow many men of capital may be noticed, who are liberally investing in Snohomish real estate. The past month's real estate transfers aggregate $10,000. In the opportunities afforded here for a large real estate business it is a marvel some one does not make it a specialty.
This 1888 report captures a moment of intense local competition in the Puget Sound region, where Snohomish was actively trying to shed its small-town image through brick construction and capital investment. It mirrors modern debates about urban density and development, where neighboring cities often vie for commercial dominance and infrastructure upgrades to attract residents and businesses away from larger hubs like Seattle.
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