Seattle’s Oysters Are Plentiful Again
As shipping and rail logistics pulse through the city in 1889, local markets report a rare dip in prices for fresh seafood.
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 steamer Fleetwood brought in a load of oysters from Olympia today. Oysters are more plentiful now and prices are easier. More attention is being paid to their harvesting and a heavy supply of domestic oysters may be looked for right along. The demand is good and prices are running lower.
“Oysters are more plentiful now and prices are easier.”
In 1889, the price of local shellfish was a primary indicator of market stability for a growing Seattle. Today, our 'market indicators' for seafood have shifted from basic supply chains to the existential threat of ocean acidification, yet the reliance on the health of the Sound remains a constant in Seattle's civic DNA.
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