The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-13

III
,,sye Thomas Mercer, who eth resides
- noraestsad on Lake Union. wac the
- rrossooosst Ia Seattle. Wren be IeSt
- f.~m on the pralrses OF Illinois <or
e.xs. sound be brought span OF horses
- saigon across the plains with him
- ,asu he arrived sn Seatgie in 1883 sle
'.ss.ers all turned out and Gus q road from
= bar 70 the lake, 20 that the wagon
.aaG have some place 70 raln- Other
$50 we're soon made. and II was not long
.ss@rs Mercer was enjoying a lucrative
go yssh his horses and wagon, the only
- A town as he lad a monopoly Of the
s~r-exs business. He hauled the first l0m-
- ,ss4d Il the construction OF board
-. and delivered wood and bark TO
=. ressdences OF the settlers. and after
~.ra 70 the wharf for steamers. The
.ssmsfer became very much attached 20
- 81 Ms ANIMALS. a faiaaful old mare.
-1sD' By name, and when sis d-ed he had
49, buried a snort distance from fs1e home
II ber grave Is stlll carefully marked.
y,dg. Mercer 81 credited with having
.su,sa the lakes IN 1874 the settlers con-
AIDED that two such beautiful bodies OF
~sisr should not longer 60 y. t2s0ut names.
.sd a mass meeting was called 70 attend
- IA. mater. a. that meeting Mercer
sn~xss.ed that the larger one should 30
saned Washington. for the father or his
eoggtry, and tho smaller ore Union. as
~.ues.sse 60 become the connecting Or
s,ssnr Ink between the larger tske end
- Sound. Tho name OF the little Axe
,svta.red a prophecy mat ls now or the
,xe Of fulfIiiment. since the general gov
snneu< has appropriated more than 49,
40 far me commencement Of the work. ev-
sry dollar of which VIII be available just
= soon as the right-of-way for the canal
!. secured. The date for ths trial OF the
condemnation proceedings has bsen fixed.
saa there IL now apparently lite reason
ar further delay IN the commencement OF
a Undertaking 20 which the pioneers OF
s-stile Rave booked forward ever since tho
village Was located.
Mr.. W. q. Lat.rner calls attention 20 one
a the pioneer cav MAS IN King county,
ng mentioned IN my notcx on early lum-
bsr.ng Tllis mill was built IN 1858 by III. III.
raa.a near the present town OF Kemton-
ne power wac secured by damming Black
r.yer below the mouth of Cedar river. and
saFatag the latter stream into Lake Wash
kxson The lumber cut by this mill was
rst;ed 20 Seattle and sold 20 the settlers
Or ioaded onto vessels for the San Fran
ssco market. The venture did not prove
access. in competition with the moro
sssant ageously located steam mills that
ssfe sprlngsng Up all along the Sound
sa0ut fhat time, and during the Indian
sAr OF 1866 the mill was burned by the
ina.ans. The old settlers claim that the
esrnming OF Bfscg river and the turning
q Cedar RIVER into Il. raised tho water Of
Lake Washington severas feet.
soon after Rev. d. Il. Blaine and ar1s
rod wife arrived tn Seavtie ia the fall of
ra 20 plant Methodlsm IN the embryo
ssy. they purchased the lots on which the
xsw York block now stands. from G. ID.
Bsren. one OF the towndfe projectors.
sAo had previously donated the lots ad-
bang. on which abe Boston block Is now
lscaied for the first church built In the
ssiy On &he lots purchased from Air.
foren. Rev Blaine erected a neat little
csitags and planted the remainder of the
ground after clearing " OF trees ana
etumps, with apple seeds brought hy him
from New York. When the trees grown
from the seeds were large enough they
were CRATER with choaes fruit from ore
ssn. and for many years this ranked an
che az fhs best little orchards on Puget
sound. The property was Afterwards sold
% Mr. Dexter Horton, but several years
arc became too valuable for orchard land.
ana tha trees grown from New York seeds
had 90 give way 20 the massive brick ana
stone structure which bears tho name Of
the Empire stats.
have been asked several Aues Of iats
90 tel wlaeh n the Oldest house nov
standing IN Seattle This Is very DIM
cult question, because the old settlers
themselves are not agreed on the subject.
have before me picture OF the town
taken al a time whea there were not over
o. bouses IN the place. and before the uni