The Unfinished Frontier: A Peek into Early Seattle Military Life
While infrastructure and shipping dominated the headlines of 1885, a small group of Army officers and their families were living in tents on the Seattle waterfront, waiting for their permanent quarters to be completed.
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 quarters at the new military post, which have been under construction for a week, are not quite finished. One company, Captain Kensington’s, has gone into camp. The other has found an old building which they have taken possession of. Major Burke and family have gone to board outside of their command, and Lieutenant O’Neil and Lieutenant Murphy have pitched their tents like true soldiers, enjoying the freedom that camp life offers. They are all pleased with their surroundings and hope that in time the other part of the command will be ordered to join them, as for the present the families are separated.
“Lieutenant O’Neil and Lieutenant Murphy have pitched their tents like true soldiers, enjoying the freedom that camp life offers.”
This snapshot of 1885 Seattle captures a city still in its infancy, where military housing was a temporary, makeshift affair. It serves as a stark reminder of Seattle’s long history of housing scarcity—whether for soldiers in the 19th century or modern residents struggling with the current cost-of-living crisis.
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