The Bachelor Plague: A Warning to Women Considering Washington Territory
A satirical column in the Waterville Empire warns Eastern women that the territory is overrun with 'horrid bachelors,' urging them to come anyway for the climate and soil.
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.
Young women in the East who are contemplating removing to Washington Territory are admonished that the land is full of "horrid bachelors," and if they are averse to such society they had best not come. But the climate, and soil and other advantages are sufficient to overcome the latter objection and in time that objectionable class will be terminated with the influences of civilization.
This 1885 warning highlights the gender imbalance that defined early Pacific Northwest settlement, a demographic reality that drove both marriage markets and social anxieties. It mirrors modern housing debates where young professionals flock to tech hubs like Seattle, often facing similar pressures regarding dating pools, cost of living, and the 'amenity' of urban life versus its social costs.
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