The Iron City on the Lake: Peter Kirk’s $20 Million Steel Empire Rises in Kirkland

It is with pleasure that the POST-INTELLIGENCER makes the positive announcement this morning that Mr. Peter Kirk, of the Moss Bay Iron and Steel Company of Cumberland, England, has written a site on Lake Washington near this city for the location of extensive iron and steel works. This announcement is made by authority of Mr. Kirk himself.

The spot selected is on the east side of the lake, directly opposite the termination of Madison street and about midway between the lake ports of Houghton and Juanita. It lies north from and immediately adjacent to Moss Bay (heretofore called Nelson's Bay) and takes in over two thousand acres, which have been acquired by purchase within the past two weeks. Moss Bay is distant from the business center of Seattle by practical means about thirty minutes in point of time, and while a little removed from the corporate limits, is within the metropolitan district.

The site was selected for its perfect natural adaptation to the purposes in view. It answers fully every requirement for such an establishment as Mr. Kirk has in prospect. It is the nearest practicable point on navigable water from the Snoqualmie ore beds. It is adjacent to Lake Washington on one hand and to the line of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad on the other. It is sufficiently spacious, not only for the Works, but for the city which must connect itself with them as an attachment.

Mr. Kirk talked with perfect frankness to a reporter yesterday concerning his general purposes. "I have been in the country nearly two years," he said. "I did not, you may be sure, determine upon locating at Lake Washington without full and careful examination of all the facts and considerations involved... We have chosen the location near Seattle because in our judgment it affords more advantages than any other place."

"I do not care to speak of details as yet, but will say this much, that the Works which we propose will be complete and extensive. Of course we are doing this thing as a matter of business and solely for business reasons, but it must in the nature of things be a very important enterprise for Seattle."

In choosing a site for the projected iron and steel works, the necessity of providing a place of residence for the large population connected with their operation was kept in view... The point directly north of the bay, comprising the Eden fruit farm and the land immediately adjoining it has been set apart for the town, which has been christened in honor of the founder of the works, Kirkland.

Chief Justice Jones, Judge Burke, Mr. H. G. Struve and Mr. Dexter Horton were members of a party of gentlemen who on Wednesday visited the site... Judge Burke stated: "The site is unsurpassed for that particular industry... The inauguration of this enterprise will undoubtedly result in the opening of the canal to Lake Washington within two years at least, thus making it what I term to be the greatest fresh water harbor on the coast."

It is proposed to build a town here connected with the iron works, involving all the features of the manufacturing town of Pullman, near Chicago... Homes will be sold to such persons as become actual residents, but it is not intended that the place shall be used by speculators.