The Brick Revolution: Why Seattle’s Wooden Streets Are a Financial Trap
An editorial in the Seattle Intelligencer argues that the city's reliance on timber construction is holding back its prosperity, urging property owners to invest in fireproof brick buildings to secure higher rents and double their income.
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.
If those who are pattering about their old wooden disfiguring the streets and setting the town back, will endeavor to secure the money to build of brick, they will find they can easily raise the requisite amount at a low rate of interest, and thereby increase the value of their property, double their income, and add immeasurably to the material prosperity of Seattle.
There is a large number of property holders who have contemplated building substantial structures during the coming season. Now is the time to begin. Every man who puts up a brick block now will be able to secure tenants before the building is completed. The demand for offices and store room was never greater than at the present time.
This editorial captures the pivotal moment in Seattle’s urban identity: the transition from a fragile, fire-prone timber town to a permanent metropolis. Just as today's developers argue that density and modern materials are necessary for housing affordability and economic resilience, this 1890s voice argues that 'brick' (modern infrastructure) is the only path to wealth. It mirrors current debates about zoning reform and the cost of construction in a booming city.
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