The 1876 Pitch: Why Seattle Was Bound to Boom
A booster’s argument from the pages of 1876 explains why the town was destined to become the 'leading city of the northern coast'—and why land speculators could never stop it.
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.
A gentleman recently from Western Iowa states that he was induced to move and direct his investments by representations made to him by a gentleman now residing in that section, who was formerly a leading citizen of Portland. This gentleman advised our informant to go to Seattle, in Washington Territory, and anchor there, stating that if he would do so and grow up with the growth of the place, with steady industry and foresight, he could easily advance to fortune. He further stated that in his judgment, Seattle was destined to be the leading city of the northern coast. As reasons for this, he said that the Seattle and Walla Walla railroad must certainly be built eventually—that the trade which that thoroughfare would gather and create would build up a great town, and that the topographical features of the country were such that the outlet could not be any other point than Seattle. He said that there were other reasons to secure this result, because owing to the timbered nature of the country, it would be a physical impossibility for speculators or capitalists to give to any new town on Puget Sound a start that could make a rival for Seattle. Hence, though the growth of the city might be comparatively slow, it would be very sure, since it had extensive resources within its reach, near and far, entering as factors into its continuous growth, that ensured an increasing prosperity for a period reaching far into the boundless future.
“Owing to the timbered nature of the country, it would be a physical impossibility for speculators or capitalists to give to any new town on Puget Sound a start that could make a rival for Seattle.”
This 1876 editorial reflects the perpetual 'Seattle boom' mentality, where geographical determinism—our deep water and rail connections—was used to sell city growth to outsiders. Just as it did then, the city’s identity remains tethered to the belief that it is an inevitable engine of progress, regardless of the housing and labor pains that growth entails.
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