The City’s Blueprint: Codifying Seattle’s 1886 Charter
A comprehensive look at the new municipal laws defining everything from fire prevention to drainage, setting the legal foundation for a growing city.
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 City of Seattle shall include within its limits the following lands, premises and territory: the north half of sections 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 in township 25 north, range 4; and the south half of sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 34, in township 25 north, range 4 east. The City of Seattle is hereby constituted a municipal corporation by the name and style of the 'City of Seattle,' with perpetual succession, the power to sue and be sued, and to acquire or sell property. The city is granted power to levy taxes, establish a fire department, construct and improve streets, and compel owners to properly drain premises to avoid stagnant, offensive water.
“The City of Seattle is hereby constituted and declared to be a municipal corporation by the name and style of the 'City of Seattle,' and by that name shall have perpetual succession.”
This charter reflects the foundational struggle of a city transitioning from a frontier settlement to an urban power. The issues outlined here—taxing for public infrastructure, assessing property for improvements, and managing drainage—remain at the heart of Seattle’s modern civic discourse regarding growth and the public good.
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