Early on, Seattle’s economy was dominated by logging; a steam-powered sawmill owned by pioneer Henry Yesler was the city’s major employer. Seattle was incorporated in 1869. As European immigrants were recruited to work in the coalfields outside the city, its population slowly grew until an interstate railroad line arrived.
Seattle was initially named after the neighboring village of Duwamish. However, it was later renamed to honor the local Native American tribe leader, Seattle, who had shown considerable hospitality to the settlers in 1853. During that year, city leaders were disappointed when Washington’s territorial government determined that its capital would be Olympia (although there was a short-lived movement in 1860 to make Vancouver the capital). In 1861, however, Seattle was chosen as the site of the University of Washington, which would prove to be of great significance to the city’s development. Seattle was subjected to tense encounters with Native Americans, including a violent attack in 1856, which was ended by the arrival of the gunship Decatur and ground troops from the U.S.
The Northern Pacific Railway Company announced in the early 1870s that its western terminus would be at Tacoma, about 40 miles south of Seattle. Railroad barons seem to have gambled on the advantage they could gain from purchasing land around their terminus cheaply rather than bringing the railroad into a more established Pacific port town. The city of Seattle has made several attempts to build its railroad or to leverage one to come. In 1884, the Great Northern Railway finally reached Seattle, allowing it to compete with other cities for freight, though a significant rail passenger terminal would not be constructed until 1906.
#1 Washington Territorial University, 1879
#2 Dr. David Swinson Maynard residence near Alki, 1873
#3 Arlington House horse-drawn coach, 1879
#4 North School, building and school children, 1879
#5 Trinity Church, 1873
#6 View from 2nd Ave. and Pike Street, 1870
#7 Seattle from Elliott Bay, 1871
#8 A.A. Denny locomotive, belonging to the Columbia and Puget Sound Railway, 1879
#9 1st Ave. showing residence, 1870
#10 Central School, children and teachers posed on steps, 1870
#11 Charles Plummer residence, Seattle, 1861
#12 David Judkins’ house with John Roby Judkins standing in front of Frederick & Nelson furniture wagon, Seattle, 1879
#13 East Hall residence, Territorial University, Seattle, 1870
#14 Residence, Kenneth Hotel location, 1st Ave. vicinity of Cherry Street, 1875
#15 Yesler Way from 1st Ave., 1875
#16 Store in Queen Anne, 1871
#17 Territorial University building and Observatory between Union and University Streets, 1870
#18 Unidentified residence at Queen Aveneue in Seattle, 1870
#19 Yesler House, 1870
#20 1st Ave. S. north from S. Washington Street, 170
Looking North, just below Washington St. intersection. Right center: Occidental hotel (with flagstaff). Above that: Dr. H.A. Smith house. Above that: C.C. Terry house (white fence and gables). Below right of Terry house: J. Collins house. Left of hotel: Hillory Butler house (small white). Center: first Masonic Hall (Dark Bldg.) Above that: Methodist Episcopal Church (white church)."
#21 1st Ave. S. north from S. Washington Street, 1870
#22 Our Lady of Good Help Church, 1870
#23 Plummer’s store, 1870
#24 Territorial University Boarding House, 1862
#25 Territorial University, 1870
#26 View north from 1st Ave. S. and S. Washington Street, 1870
Looking North, just below Washington Street intersection. Center Right side: Occidental Hotel (with flagstaff). Above that--Dr. H. A. Smith house. Above that--C.C. Terry house (white fence and gables). Below right of Terry house--J. Collins house. Left of hotel. Left side: Hillory Butler house.(small white). Center Right side: first Masonic Hall (dark building). Above that is Methodist Episcopal Church (White Church).
#27 1st Ave. looking south from Cherry Street, 1874
#28 1st Ave. looking north from Cherry Street, 1876
#29 1st Ave. north from Main Street, 1879
#30 1st Ave. north from Yesler Way, 1878
#31 1st Avenue. S. between S. Washington St. and S. Main Street, 1870
East side between Washington Street and Main Street. On verso: Pinkham's Variety store, Levy's Pawn shop, Eureka Bakery. Wyckoff home (with veranda) S. E. corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Street. Dick Atkins home (above that). Pinkham's Variety Store, Levy's Pawn Shop, Eureka Bakery. Wyckoff home (with verandah), S. E. corner of Second and Cherry. Dick Atkins home (above). J. M. Colman's home above that.
#32 1st Ave. S. north from S. Main Street, 1871
#33 1st Ave. S. north from S. Washington Street, 1870
#34 1st Avenue S. north from S. Washington Street, 1870
#35 1st Ave. south from Cherry Street, 1874
#36 1st Avenue, south from Madison Street, 1879
#37 Boren House at 2nd. Ave. and Cherry Street, 1870
#38 Carson D. Boren house, 1870
#39 Cherry St. looking east from 1st Ave. 1875
#40 Driving of the first pile, May 1, 1874
#41 East side of 1st Ave. S. between S. Washington St. and S. Main Street, 1870
#42 Fire wreckage at foot of Yesler Way, July 26, 1879
#43 First trip of Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, March 7, 1877
#44 First trip of Seattle Coal Company railroad, December 1871
#45 Intelligencer Office near 1st Ave. and Cherry Street, 1876
#46 John J. McGilvra House, 1870
#47 King Street wharves, 1878
#48 Occidental Hotel at 1st Ave. and James Street, 1872
#49 Phillips, Horton and Co. Bank, 1876
#50 Seattle waterfront from Elliot Bay, 1878
#51 Seattle’s first fire engine, 1879
#52 South School [later called Main St. School], 1875
![South School [later called Main St. School], 1875](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/seattle_late-19th_century_274.jpg)
South School (first) 6th and Main. Built 1873 and called South School; name changed to Main Street School 1889. Frame. Exterior. View from right side and back. Retouched from the original. This Rare Picture is a close-up photograph of the original South School on Main Street, which was then the stage road leading to Leschi Park (present) On Lake Washington. Then the shoreline of the bay was less than a block away.
#53 Steamer “Alida,” 1870
#54 Territorial University from near 3rd Ave. and Union Street, 1878
#55 Territorial University, 1870
#56 View from 1st Ave. and Pike St. looking south 1878.
From 1st Ave. and Pike St., 1878. Looking south. Photo by Peiser, Theodore E.. Center background. Arlington Hotel; Yesler's mill & Yesler's dock; Wreck of bark "Windward" in front of dock; M.R. Moddock's bldg., left in front of trestle; R.H. Denny Home, n. side of Union St.; A.A. Denny Home, s. side of Union St.; Young naturalists first home, rear of A.A. Denny home.
#57 View from 2nd Ave. and Pike Street, 1870
#58 View from 3rd Ave. and Seneca Street, 1875
From Third Avenue and Seneca Street. 1875. Looking southeast from roof of Territorial University. 1. Yesler's mill and wharf. 2. Harrington and Smith's dock. 3. 'Brown' church. 4. Thorndyke house. 5. Robert Moran house. 6. Irving Ballard house. 7. Sandow house. 8. Steamer Zephyr.
Generalizing about Seattle’s history can be difficult, but perhaps none more so than the 1870s. This decade began with a building boom and saw one of the largest population increases in Seattle’s history. Despite large parts of the city still covered in old-growth forest in 1870, by 1880 most of it had been cleared for construction, leaving behind stumps and ash. During the latter half of the decade, significant street improvements were made, including the planking of Mill Street in 1875 and the regrading of Front Street in 1876, which continued through 1878. However, by 1879, the local economy had stalled and was in disarray, with the logging industry having collapsed and most of the larger mills closing due to a lack of demand.
I hope it didn’t rain too much back then, as those streets would have become incredibly muddy.