The Deeds That Set Tacoma Speculating
When Tacoma Land Company deeds to railroad magnate Henry Villard hit the recorder’s office, rumors of a Northern Pacific power grab briefly set off a real-estate boom.
TACOMA, April 30.—Special.—The deeds from the Tacoma Land Company of property in Tacoma to Henry Villard were put on record today. The news created considerable excitement when it became known, and came near starting a miniature real-estate boom. What the purchase means was a matter of surmise. Stories of Villard's gaining control of the Northern Pacific Railroad were revived.
The deeds were received at the auditor's office by mail from Villard's counsel in New York City.
The first deed is dated February 2, 1895, and transfers to Henry Villard all of lot 3 and one-half of lot 4, in section 29, township 9, range 5 east, containing 54.68 acres. The consideration is $6,?78, and the Tacoma Land Company is the seller. A glance at the city map shows this property to be platted directly west of the Briggs & Hayden addition to the city, and is part of a large tract owned by the land company.
The other deed has the same date and transfers the east half of lot 10 and all of lots 11 and 12, in block 3, to Villard, also by the Tacoma Land Company, the price paid being $7,324. This block lies at the corner of Yakima avenue and North Eighth, and is bounded by Yakima avenue, North Eighth and North Ninth streets.
This evening it was intimated that the property was bought by Mr. Villard nearly six years ago, and that the putting of the deeds on record was merely the last move in the transaction.
“The news created considerable excitement when it became known, and came near starting a miniature real-estate boom.”
In 1895, a Villard deed could move markets because railroads and land companies together shaped Tacoma's growth. The same speculative dance—who owns the ground, who controls the rails—still shadows Puget Sound development.
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