A Massive $200,000 Flouring Mill to Rise in Seattle
A local merchant returning from the East reports that Seattle’s potential is drawing high-stakes capital, with plans for a major industrial mill in the works.
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.
Mr. W. P. Boyd, a prominent merchant of Seattle, is in Chicago on his return from the East, where he has spent the past three weeks on business. 'I found that the Eastern money market had entirely recovered from the recent stringency,' said Mr. Boyd, 'and that capital is seeking good investments. Men in Eastern money centers are very much interested in the Pacific coast, particularly the northern portion of it, and are ready to go into new enterprises there. I hear much talk of Oregon and Washington, but particularly of the latter. I know of preparations being made for a flour mill in Seattle in the near future, which will cost $200,000 and employ a large number of hands. I am not at liberty to state the names of the parties interested, but can say this much: that one, a practical miller, is from Minneapolis, and that the other two are from New York and Boston. The company has plenty of capital, and will give Seattle a mill of which they may well be proud.'
“Men in Eastern money centers are very much interested in the Pacific coast, particularly the northern portion of it, and ready to go into new enterprises there wherever a good opportunity offers.”
This 1891 report reflects the era's frantic quest to industrialize the Pacific Northwest, mirroring today's debates over how Seattle balances its role as a global tech hub with its foundational roots in manufacturing and maritime trade.
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