Upon the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in Everett in 1893, Seattle’s city center underwent rapid redevelopment, leading to explosive growth. Timber and coal were the city’s primary industries, but fishing, wholesale trade, shipbuilding, and shipping also contributed to its expansion and population growth. As gold was discovered along and near the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory and Alaska in 1897, Seattle became a boomtown. The city became the premier outfitting point for prospectors because of its proximity to the Klondike and its established shipping lines. Alaska was considered to be the personal property of Seattle and Seattleites for a long time.
The city’s population increased from 3,533 in 1880 to 80,671 at the end of the 19th Century. According to one estimate, Seattle gained 1,000 new residents per month during the first half of 1889; in March alone, there were 500 buildings under construction, most of the wood structures. On June 6, 1889, a devastating fire that leveled the buildings on 116 acres in the city’s business district slowed but did not stop the city’s growth. The fire did not result in fatalities, but it caused millions of dollars’ worth of property damage.
Below are fascinating historical photos that show what Seattle looked like in the late-19th Century. Also, check Seattle in the 1880s and 1870s.
It’s a shame that the lake doesn’t freeze over anymore