The Healthiest Spot in the Union
In 1884, a physician made the case that Seattle’s mild, stable climate made it a medical anomaly—a city where typhoid was rare and death rates were the envy of the nation.
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.
Dr. E. L. Smith of Seattle reports that the climate in the city of Seattle, during the four years he has practiced there, has been considerably low compared with that of other cities of the Union. The highest in four of the years mentioned was 92 degrees; the lowest was 13 degrees above zero. During the fourteen years of the history of the city, typhoid fever has been the most common disease. In the Eastern States, typhoid fever has been attended with a mortality of 20 to 25 percent; in this city, the mortality is not over 5 or 6 percent. I have been in constantly receipt of health reports from all parts of the Union and very rarely seen so low a death rate as our own.
“I have been in constantly receipt of health reports from all parts of the Union and very rarely seen so low a death rate as our own.”
While Seattle today grapples with the health impacts of smoke and heatwaves, this 1884 report captures the era's promotional 'boosterism' that marketed the Pacific Northwest as a mild, temperate paradise to attract settlers. It’s a fascinating snapshot of how Seattle’s environmental reputation was curated long before it became a tech hub.
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