The Boomtown That Was: A Glimpse of Seattle in 1876

Seattle is one of the most promising and prosperous towns of the Territory, possessing great commercial advantages, having an excellent harbor, and being directly west of the Snoqualmie Pass, it is situated to command the trade of the extensive wheat-growing and grazing region east of the Cascade Mountains. The surrounding country possesses extraordinary resources, the soil being fertile, forests magnificent, and mines of coal of excellent quality are abundant, ten miles distant. The city occupies a pleasant position on the Bay, the background slightly rising and uneven, and bordered by the evergreen fringe of spire-like, tall and graceful firs and spruce, which give the country its celebrity and contribute so much to its wealth. Seattle is the seat of the Territorial University, which occupies a conspicuous position on an elevation in the northern portion of the town, and adds much to its attractiveness. The city front shows the leading business of the country. Great piles of boards, plank, spars and timber fill the wharves and the beach, and the saw mill, with its 'gang,' and every other machine for the manufacture of lumber, is ever busy in converting the majestic forest trees into the useful commodities of commerce.