Renton Addition Buyers Include Railway and Hotel Leaders
As Seattle boomed, property developers promised exclusivity and rapid growth in the newly promoted Renton Addition, setting the stage for a city-wide expansion that would redefine the skyline.
The Renton Addition: Prices will be advanced on Wednesday, July 10. Consequently, those who intend to secure lots in this addition will save money by making their transactions before that date. Among those who have so far purchased in the Renton Addition are Mr. J. R. McDonald, president of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway Company; The King County Investment Company, No. 2; Mr. John S. J. Hunt, proprietor of the Occidental Hotel; Prosecuting Attorney Newlin; F. W. D. Holbrook, of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway; T. M. Orr, of the United States Land Office; Fred J. Grant, of the Four-Press Association; Mrs. Caroline Baker; John A. Hatcher, editor of Frank Leslie’s Weekly, and others. We have refused in every instance to sell lots in the Renton Addition to any but men of established responsibility. Every person who has a house site in the Renton Addition may rest assured that he will have nice neighbors. The distance to the choice residence lots in the Renton Addition is short, and to avoid this, they can afford to use our carriage.
“We have refused in every instance to sell lots in the Renton Addition to any but men of established responsibility.”
This 1889 advertisement highlights the early days of Seattle's 'land developer' culture, where high-profile figures and transit company presidents bought into 'additions' to drive value. Today, Seattle continues to wrestle with the legacy of these early land deals, as the tension between residential growth and the influence of developers remains a central feature of local housing policy.
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