The Real Estate Gold Rush: How West Seattle’s ‘Cream of the Cream’ Was Sold to the Highest Bidders
In February 1889, developers Fargre and Sander were selling off lots in West Seattle for as little as $25 down, promising fortunes from a plateau that was then little more than mud and ambition.
A Word TO INTENDING INVESTORS!
FARGRE'S SECOND ADDITION TO WEST SEATTLE.
THIS BEAUTIFUL ADDITION, WHICH has just been put on the market, certainly caps the climax for excellence and desirability. In all West Seattle it is "the cream of the cream," the garden spot of our coming Oakland. It lies on a beautiful plateau, level as the floor, close to the water's edge, directly in front of all the other additions in that favored locality.
The view from this addition is, indeed, charming, every lot fronting on broad avenues commanding a full and unobstructed view o the lofty mountains, the busy bay and the Queen City. It will be easy of access both by the new motor line, by boat and by ferry. It lies in the midst of contemplated improvements. The Seattle Southern Railroad, with its carshops, roundhouses, etc., runs close by.
The whole addition —lots, streets and avenues—is cleared and graded. In every way these lots are very desirable, the prices are very low, the terms are very easy. We unhesitatingly recommend this property as the best investment to-day, whether you want it for residence, for business or for speculation. It is no cheap auction goods, but a staple article that will sell on its own merit without the assistance of a brass band.
Be sure to look this up before buying! Remember that these lots lie close to the harbor which will always be the center of activity and the heart of the city. Here is your chance to get a business lot for $200, that will be worth way up in the thousands in a short time. You have nothing to lose, very little to risk, and a fortune to make.
Come, see and tie convinced! Free transportation to and from the lots every day.
K. G. FARGRE, Real Estate Broker, Owner, MINNESOTA HOUSE, CORNER WASHINGTON AND SECOND STREET.
ENERGY AND ENTERPRISE REWARDED. OVER 100 LOTS SOLD LAST WEEK IN THE SANDER'S ADDITION WEST SEATTLE! ABSOLUTELY A SAFE INVESTMENT Title Perfect and Guaranteed. Prices Lower than Anything Offering in West Seattle. Terms to Suit Purchasers.
On Residence Lots we accept a small payment down and the balance in Monthly Installments or $10 per lot. SCALE OF PRICES: $100, $150, $125, $250, $400.
Located directly 'opposite the business portion of Seattle, and where Commercial street will penetrate: adjoining the WHITE MANNING, SOUTHERN PACIFIC, and SOUTH HAVEN ADDITIONS.
The residence portion of this addition is unsurpassed in any locality—East, West, North or South; lying on a level plateau; easy of access; within 500 feet of the water front. A grand view of the Mounts Rainier and Baker; the wild and rugged Cascade and Olympic ranges.
You can secure one of these lots at the remarkably LOW PRICE of $125, one half cash and the balance in six months; or $25 down and $10 per month.
This 1889 advertisement captures the speculative fever that defined Seattle’s early growth, where land was marketed not just as shelter but as a ticket to instant wealth. The promise of 'free transportation' and 'easy terms' mirrors modern real estate marketing tactics, yet the stakes were higher in an era before zoning laws or infrastructure guarantees, leaving many early buyers with muddy lots rather than mansions.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.