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The Unwelcome Discovery at the Foundry

While excavating for a new skeleton for the foundry, workmen unearthed a human skull and long bones, a grim reminder of history beneath Seattle's industrial soil.

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.

While engaged in excavating for an addition to the iron skeleton of the Almood foundry, the workmen there made a discovery. They had not progressed very far before they struck what appeared to be the skull of a human being. The earth was removed and other bones were found. The workmen continue to labor today, and it is possible that they will unearth a collection of old bones or ancient remains. It was reported that some time ago, bones were also unearthed in the foundry, but the matter was hushed up, and the bones were removed with little ceremony. The men at the foundry are curious to see if more remains are hidden in the dirt.

“The workmen continue to labor today, and it is possible that they will unearth a collection of old bones or ancient remains.”

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

In a city built on aggressive re-grading and industrial landfill, the intersection of modern expansion and human remains is a recurring theme. Much like the 19th-century workers at the Almood foundry, contemporary construction crews in neighborhoods like the International District or along the waterfront often unearth the physical remnants of Seattle’s layered, often suppressed, historical past.

The original page

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-06. Library of Congress, Chronicling America.

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About this story

From
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, SEP 6, 1889, Page 3
Rights
Public domain
Place
47.60323, -122.33028 · placed automatically
The paper in the Library of Congress catalog ↗