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The Boomtown Hype of Queen Anne Hill

A classic 19th-century real estate advertisement paints a dream of rapid transit and prosperity on Seattle’s growing northern skyline.

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.

The electric line in North Seattle is completed, and with it, the problem of rapid transit to the city’s residents is solved. Citizens are now realizing that this district is within easy walking distance of the present business center. Secure a home in North America’s most unparalleled beauty spot, possessing a wide panorama of scenery, growth, and attractions, which are resulting in the development of a new era of prosperity unequaled in the history of Seattle. The Washington, the commercial and industrial center of Puget Sound, stands on its eastward site, and life is daily becoming more active. Our most sagacious business men predict that the next few years will see even more colossal returns than the past years have earned, and the same rewards await all who will study the causes that led to their success and act upon the conviction of their judgment. Invest at once. Put your capital in the Queen Anne addition. It is the best, safest, and cheapest property for the builder or speculator. It is perfect. Full warranty deed and abstract of property given to purchasers. Remember that we will sell only sixty lots at $120 each. Come and see us at once if you desire your share of this property.

“Secure a home in North America’s most unparalleled beauty spot, possessing a wide panorama of scenery, growth, and attractions.”

— Printed in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889
Then · 1889137 years apartNow · 2026

This advertisement showcases the classic Seattle 'growth machine' mentality. While the 1890s developer promised that electric streetcars would bridge the gap between Queen Anne and the city center, today’s residents still grapple with that same 'rapid transit' problem, albeit with light rail instead of cables.

The original page

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-05-10. Library of Congress, Chronicling America.

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About this story

From
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, MAY 10, 1889, Page 2
Rights
Public domain
Place
47.69871, -122.33255 · placed automatically
The paper in the Library of Congress catalog ↗