The Battle for the County Seat
Judge Ballinger grants an injunction preventing the removal of the Snohomish County seat to Everett, sparking celebrations in the streets.
Judge H. A. Ballinger, of Port Townsend, notified attorneys that he had reached a decision in favor of Snohomish, granting an injunction against the removal of the county seat to Everett. The case turned on the right of the court to interfere with the board of commissioners' decision. Judge Ballinger ruled that the board had no authority to ignore legal votes cast in the election. The purported canvass showed that the board threw out precincts in Port Gardner and South Snohomish, leaving the result of the three-fifths majority requirement in doubt. In Snohomish, people were happy this evening. Fireworks and cheers enlivened the streets from 7 o'clock to midnight. Snohomish citizens, organized to prevent violence by Everett, paraded the streets 200 strong.
“Snohomish people were happy this evening. Fireworks and cheers enlivened the streets from 7 o'clock to midnight.”
The rivalry between Snohomish and Everett was a defining conflict of the 1890s, shaping the political geography of the region. This legal battle over the county seat reflects the intense, often desperate competition between emerging towns to secure the infrastructure and prestige of government power.
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