The School-Land Grab Bellingham Fought at the Governor's Desk
Protests flood the governor against a bill that would hand a valuable Bellingham Bay school section to the Dealy and Yostkins heirs — and leave the state with nearly worthless lieu land.
Bellingham, March 8.—Special.—Strong protests have been telegraphed to the governor against the so-called land-grab bill now before him for approval. It involves title to a portion of one of the most valuable school sections in this county, only a short distance from this city and fronting Bellingham Bay. Old settlers here claim that when Dealy settled upon the property he was fully aware that it was school land, but the lawyers for his heirs have apparently persuaded the legislature to the contrary. If the governor signs the bill, the state will have made a very valuable present to the Dealy and Yostkins heirs and will have to take lieu land not worth one-tenth as much.
“If the governor signs the bill the state will have made a very valuable present to the Dealy and Yostkins heirs and have to take lieu land not worth one-tenth as much.”
School trust lands were meant to fund Washington's public schools; the Dealy bill was a classic attempt to convert a public resource into private title. The fight over who captures the value of public land — and who pays when it is given away — still shapes debates over school funding, land use and political influence.
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