The End of the Hochfutter Lodging House
A court-ordered liquidation of a Pike Street boarding house captures the fragile reality of housing in early 1890s Seattle.
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.
In pursuance of an order of court, all the furniture, fixtures, etc., of the lodging house known as the 'Hochfutter,' located at 1169 Pike Street, between Front and Second streets, will be sold by public auction to the highest bidder for cash, at the hour of 10 o'clock a.m., Saturday, January 17, 1891. John G. Barnes, Receiver.
“All the furniture, fixtures, etc., of the lodging house... will be sold by public auction to the highest bidder for cash.”
In 1891, the 'Hochfutter' was just one of many transient boarding houses serving a rapidly growing Seattle workforce. Today, this location—near the intersection of Pike and First Avenue—remains the epicenter of Seattle's ongoing struggle to provide stable, affordable housing for its residents.
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