The Seattle Coal Cooperative of 1876
A century and a half ago, Seattle workers formed a mutual benefit mining company to secure their own fuel and profits.
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 annual meeting of the Renton Coal Mining Company was held last evening. This company was organized on the mutual benefit plan. Each shareholder is entitled to six tons of coal per annum, at a cost of $6 per ton, with screening, wharfage, and hauling extra. The shares are placed at $100, payable in monthly installments: $10 down and $5 for each succeeding month. The property is situated on the Black River near Seattle. The company was organized in March 1874, and the first shipment of 168 tons arrived here June 18th, two years ago. The report of George F. Whitworth, Civil Engineer, shows that the company's claim contains over 12,000,000 tons of coal above the water level, enough to last one hundred years at a rate of 200 tons per day. An important feature in the development is that not a ton of this coal has to be hoisted; the mine is currently yielding 100 tons per day. The company has 1,400 stockholders and contemplates owning their own vessels. Stockholders not only get their coal at a reasonable rate but will eventually share in the profits of the company.
“The company was organized on the mutual benefit plan. Stockholders not only get their coal at a reasonable rate, but will eventually share in the profits of the company.”
Today's struggles over utility costs and the dream of worker-owned cooperatives mirror this 1876 enterprise. While the Renton Coal Company sought to bypass market volatility through mutual ownership, modern Seattleites face similar pressures with housing and energy, often looking toward community-led models to regain control.
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