A Lawyer Halts Seattle Wharf Construction
As Seattle's waterfront development heated up, a pile-driving crew found themselves caught in a messy property dispute, leading to a temporary injunction that halted work.
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.
As Ned Guthrie, with his pile driver and a crew, was making good headway this forenoon on the construction of the wharf for the Seattle Lumber and Company, he was interrupted by a nimble lawyer who climbed over the newly driven piles and stood on a heavy timber, calling out to the boss of the scow, Mr. Guthrie: 'That’s all! I know what’s the matter; but you stop all those piles driven that we may look into this!' A temporary injunction was granted by Judge Greene yesterday, and the complaint was filed in the District Court yesterday. The complaint is by James M. Colman, regarding property near Marion street. More of this kind of trouble will be experienced by property holders on the water front until some decision is reached in regard to the rights of parties claiming water front.
“More of this kind of trouble will be experienced by property holders on the water front until some decision is reached in regard to the rights of parties claiming water front.”
In 1887, Seattle's nascent maritime industry was stalled by property owners squabbling over who owned the mudflats. Today, the struggle has shifted from pile-drivers to high-rises, but the fundamental tension remains: how much of our waterfront is public and how much belongs to those who 'own' the view.
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