The City That Almost Was: The 1891 Annexation Election
A historic ballot reveals how Seattle once planned its expansion by absorbing the suburban districts of Salmon Bay, Fremont, and Latona.
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 on the 28th day of January, 1891, an election will be held in the City of Seattle and in the territory now described, pursuant to the provisions of the legislature of the state of Washington, for the purpose of submitting to the electors the question of whether said territory shall be annexed to the corporate limits of said city. The territory to be annexed includes parts of Salmon Bay precinct, Fremont precinct, Latona precinct, and Union precinct. The voting places are designated as follows: For Salmon Bay, at Nixon’s hotel; for Fremont, at White’s store; for Latona, at Cowan’s store; and for Union precinct, at the schoolhouse. Each elector who shall be in favor of annexing said territory to the city of Seattle is hereby invited to vote on said proposition by placing upon his ballot the words 'For Annexation.' Each elector who shall be opposed to annexing said territory is invited to vote by placing the words 'Against Annexation' on his ballot.
“Each elector who shall be in favor of annexing said territory to the city of Seattle is hereby invited to vote on said proposition by placing upon his ballot the words 'For Annexation.'”
This 1891 election notice captures the exact moment Seattle transitioned from a compact settlement to a sprawling municipality. Today’s debates over urban growth boundaries and the integration of suburban neighborhoods into the city core find their roots in these early annexation battles.
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