The Great Delinquent Tax Sale of 1888
A sweeping list of hundreds of 'Unknown Owners' and Seattle residents facing the auction block, revealing the precarious nature of early land speculation in the city.
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.
Notice is hereby given that the following described property will be sold at public auction on the third day of April, 1888, to satisfy delinquent taxes. The list includes properties under 'Unknown Owners' across various additions, including the Bell & Denny additions, Central Seattle, Yesler additions, and Maynard additions. This massive collection of delinquent tracts reflects the volatility of early Seattle land holdings, where vast swaths of territory—from Lake Union to the waterfront—were left in tax arrears by speculators and residents alike.
“Notice is hereby given that the following described property will be sold at public auction on the third day of April, 1888, to satisfy delinquent taxes.”
This 1888 list of delinquent taxes serves as a stark reminder that Seattle’s modern volatility is baked into its foundation. Today’s headlines about land speculation, property taxes, and the 'unknown' or corporate ownership of our city’s parcels mirror the same anxieties felt in 1888, when the frontier city was being carved out and sold off to the highest bidder.
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