The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-14

F'sioiss OF this sct were carried cut by The
hoard n froas 81 Seattle. Tacoma and
etser towF.s
This act IL Ms-rh ~. fssa also settled
s3se quests wS.tA hsd produced Sa much
confusion Fvlc~ u the adoption of the con-
siisu9sen. &. re preference right 20 nur-
chase lido s2F.ssS, giving the ownss Of ahut-
tta@ upland me preference right 81 par-
chase, except as against those who had.
prfo~ 10 at.Ac4. - l>se mace valasa bic i'm
lf3seFaelss 10 Is used Tor commercial
trade Or bussEess. and except IS - those
VITO bad platte. oysters uror portions OF
;he tile issss
Aching uIsoa tire provisions % this law,
the UT'sard owners made publication for
par has, rs stll also tht Sc Is no had i'm
provcmenss, No claim on accent OF the
ovsfe- led clause Eas been made in the
Seattle tide laut.s
The applications OF the upland claimants
and OF the Improvement claimants in MI
merons instances confiicted and this
brought about the necessity Of deteruin-
ing their preference right of purchase,
Beard of Land Commissioners.
Afterwards the legislature created
board OF state land commissioners. con-
sisttng Of three members. This beard.
which was then composed of Hon. w. T.
Forrest. Erastus Rrainerd and s. J. Chad
wick, held its sessions IN Seattle. begin
ming February, 1895. for the purpose Of
settling these conflicting applications. The
sessions Of this board lasted in Seattle for
three months and not until the summer
of 1896 was the title 20 any Of the tide
lands within Seattle harbor settled Never
before in all the history OF the state and
territory. had this title been quiet and Sc
cure. ard OF course the lands were I'M
marketable undeveloped ard almost ur-
improved. The city was TOW one OF great
proportions and the fats were badly
needed for commerce and trade. The
state government at frat failed 20 quie.
the uncertainty and Il was not until the
summer of 1886 that the rights OF the dif-
ferent parties We're determined. From
that time TO the present sales have been
made by the state TO The parties entitled
to buy. lie terms which the state asks
are ore-tenth cash and the balance in nine
equal annual instaliments. with $ per cent
interest on deferred payments Contracts
OF sale are given by the state. the deed 70
pass wfen the last Of the payments have
been made
Filling In the Flats.
The legislature. subsequent TO 1920 also
passed an act for the letting of contracts
for the filiirs in Of the tide flats. the con-
trac. for the lands In front Of Seattle now
being neld by the Seattle & Lake Wash
ington Waterway Company. Under this
cCurac. about 10 acres OF the lands have
beer filed in. Purchasers OF these lands
are REQUIRED 70 pev IS cents per cubic yard
for ms filing.
The last Legislature passed an ac. chang
Ing the plat OF tie tide lands along almost
the entire wafer trent of the CITY. 1t also
modified the strip known as the harbor
rim. The q anse In the plat does not af-
feet the rights OF property owners. but
simply changes the shane Of their tide
lands 10 conform 20 the plans OF Engineer
Rogue. for the pest arrangement of any
harbor In the wcrld.
There have been times when investors
could get tide lands by paying the taxes:
now as high as :i.feo has been offered for
. single Iuimrroved lot on Commercial
street.