Governor Squire's Alki Point Picnic
A grand summer outing at Alki Point brings together Seattle's elite, complete with a pavilion feast, sea-side dancing, and a dramatic recitation of 'Old Settler.'
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.
At 9 o'clock last Friday, the steamer Nellie Miller departed from Yesler's wharf for Alki Point, having on board Senator Miller, his wife and daughter, of California, and sixty or seventy citizens of the town, both ladies and gentlemen, all guests of Governor Squire. The day was perfect, and the most complete arrangements had been made by the Governor for the entertainment. The boat soon arrived at the grounds, where, upon disembarking, the party found one of the most delightful natural picnic places to be found anywhere. The bank bordering the beach is low and nearly level for a mile or more. A tree stands here and there, with wild roses, syringas, arrow wood and other attractive bushes between. The main feature of the day was dinner, for which the most elaborate preparations had been made. Tables were spread in a pavilion roofed with boughs. Upon these were placed dishes served in the best manner: steam oysters, bread, cheese, chicken, salmon, sandwiches, crackers, bottled beer, wine, black coffee, pickles, lemons, and condiments. After dinner, a few toasts were proposed, to which responses were made in fitting language by Senator Miller, Governor Squire, Mayor Leary, Colonel Haller, ex-Governor Ferry, Captain Hill and Meriah Brown; Frank Henry, of Olympia, responding with a recitation, the excellent and always welcome 'Old Settler.' More dancing and the varied diversions followed dinner, after which, about 4 o'clock, the party returned to the steamer and started for home, reaching Yesler's wharf about 5.
“The bank bordering the beach is low and nearly level for a mile or more. A tree stands here and there, with wild roses, syringas, arrow wood and other attractive bushes between.”
Long before Alki Point became a dense residential neighborhood, it served as Seattle's premier 'pleasure ground' for the city's political and business elite. This 1885 outing highlights how the city's early development focused on waterfront leisure spaces that served as backdrops for consolidating civic power—a tradition that continues in today's high-profile donor events and political mixers.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.