The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01
Balance in favor of 1890. $3.50. $s,as


Balance In favor of 1890 ....... $3.50, 1888 81
The record for the year 1890 exceeds any
in the history of Seattle. The next high
est year was 1883, when the total was S15,-
sl2,510.16. In that year, however, one
transaction in coal lands amounting to
S., 800 600 is on record, so the aggregate of
ordinary transactions is less. 1t is evident
that the volume of real estate transactions
has steadily increased during the past five
years, until this maximum amount has
been reached.
This great advance in the aggregate of
transactions, notwithstanding the prevail
ing financial stringency during a large part
of the year, is most significant evidence
of the solid basis of Seattle realty. Dur
ing the past six months there has been al
most total subsistence of the speculative
element in the market, sales having been
restricted very largely to the purchase of
property for improvement and the abso-
lutte use of the buyer. There has been a
steady advance in the value of better
classes of property, business and residence.
Very little inside business property has
been on the market, owners not disposed
to build generally preferring to lease on
ban real estate brought into market during
the year by the construction of new trans
portation lines and the extension of the
old systems.
During the year there were filed 247 new
plots covering S,737 acres of new territory,
or thirteen and one-half sections, or tract
six miles long by two and one-quarter
miles in width.
The total number of deeds fled is 49,
SOL. The total of all instruments filed
with the county auditor during the year
is %, AS.
There is appended below a list of
transfers whose considerations are $25, 600
and over. A study of this list discloses
very interesting facts as to the remarkable
appreciation of values in Seattle during
the past few years.
The most notable is the transaction
wherein Maurice McMicken sells to the
South Seattle Land Company 1890 A acres
in tp % n, + G and 3 for 5000. 900. Exam
nation of the records discloses the fact that
Mr.. McMicken bought this same piece of
property May %, 1887, for $9,s51.32.
On September 25, 1890, ]. A. Moore
bought the townsite of Kensington of E.
NJ. Carr, for 100000. Mr.. Carr paid s2O,-
600 for the same property November 9,
1880
The item wherein Amos Brown sells to
w. E. Bailey. for So, 500, part of four lots
on the west side of Second street, between
Spring and Madison, teaches the wisdom
of holding on to Seattle real estate. Two
of these lots were bought by Henry Van
ASSET June q, 1859, for $50, and the other
two, with the entire adjoining block, were
bought by Edward Lander and Charles C.
Terry July 80. 1856, for $500 each.
Another remarkable item is that wherein
the Washington iron works sell to p. w.
Fuller lots to 4, block L. Maynard's adj
dition, on south side of Jackson street,
from South Second to South Third, for
$4,000. In 1856 two of these lots were sold
to Charles Plummer for 500, and the other
two with three more lots were sold to
Charles Plummer and Julian P. Chase for
$500. being at the rate of 800 per lot.
Sarah Z. Epler sells to Amos Brown two
lots at the southwest corner of Second and
Seneca for $4,000 If Mr.. Brown had tried
to buy these lots twenty-eight years sooner
he could have secured both for 500. David
T. Denny paid that price for them on
February 10, 1862.
s. J. Plummer sells to W. l. Wadleigh
two lots at the northeast corner of South
second and Jackson streets for $1,000, on
October 6, 1890. One of these lots was
bought, August 6. 1858, by r. p. Willis
from David S. Maynard. and the other by
Plummer & Chase for $10o, April Is, 1856
NJ. J. Pontius sells to A. NJ. Pontius the
lot at the southwest corner of Madison
and Front streets for $4,000. This same
lot and one other brought $50, May 10,
1852, the sale being made from Arthur A.
Denny to A. W. Pray.
ID. Horton sells to Harrington & Smith
part of one lot at the northwest corner of
Commercial and Washington streets, being
the north thirty-two feet, for $4,000 This
lot and that adjoining were sold by David
5. Maynard to David Phillips and Dexter
Horton. Nav 1, 1856, for 500.