Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-04-18
ACTIVITY IN REAL q:
. ESTATE IN WESTERN
WASHINGTON GROWS
Transfers of Small Farms in Thur
ston County Indicate Gen.
eral Awakening.
RAILROADS CAUSE REVIVAL.
Seattle, Tacoma, Port Townsend
and Willapa Harbor Expert
ence Small Booms.

While no particularly large real eS-
tate deals have been recorded for
Thurston county during the last few
weeks, the general condition of the
real estate business throughout the
county is indicative of the general
awakening of activity current through
out Western Washington and particu-
larly in the tide lands of Tacoma, the
retail and terminal districts of Seattle.
railroad construction in the Olympicn
out of Port Townsend and Port An
geles. and announcements of proposea
railroads in the Willapa Harbor diA-
trict.
The feature of the Thurston county
transfers has been the fact that, though
quite numerous, practically all of tho
deals have been for small acreages, in
dicating that 1t is the small rancheg
who proposes to develop this sedmUu
into the small fruit, berry and vegeta-
BILE growing community 1t is admirA-
bly, fitted to be. Trips into almost any
section of the county will reveal q r3-
markable amount of activity in clear
ing small farms, more than for some
time past, with q constant influx of
new settlers. f,
As soon as the problem Of satisfae-
tory and quick transportation fron
Olympia to all parts Of the county and
the adjacent tributary territory is set-
tied, a remarkable impetus will be git-
en- to the agricultural development 8f
the community. The establishment cf
an interurban line between Olympus,
Tenino, Bucoda and Centralia. open-
ing up all the intervening territory.
would stimulate the development OF III
agricultural possibilities to q great IN.
tent. Another line through the wedt-
ern and southwestern portion OF the
county. en- route to Grays Harbor. open
ing up that section, and . third lipe
through the already rapidly improF-
ing section north and east Of Olympia
en- route to Tacoma, would aid ms
terially there. The consequent devel-
opment naturally would strengtAGn
olympia's position as the business con-
ter Of the entire territory q
Seattle for the last week has bsqm
in the throes Of q small real estate
boom, due to the announcement. that
the Milwaukee railroad proposes to -
tablish terminal facilities on Lake Un-
ion and also, in its retail district. TO
the proposed construction Of q big de-
partment store on Fourth avenue. "A
considerable furry has been prevalent
in the down Sound city because of
these announcements and the varions
purchases and options incident there
TO, and Seattle has been taking on
more enlivened aspect.
While not making SO much Of. q
boast about it, Tacoma has witnessed
considerable tide land purchasing
since the first of the year and specula-
tion as to the ultimate object is rife.
Rumors tina. various railroads pro
posed to increase terminal facilities
there have been given general cred
ence, and the activity in tide lands has
led to considerable speculation in real
estate in other portions of the city.
Port Townsend for some weeks has
been experiencing quite a boom, due
to the persistent reports that the Mil
Waukee and the Northern Pacific-Grea
Northern railroads proposed consider
able construction work in the Olym-
pics this summer, opening a vast ter
iitory hitherto practically undevel-
oped. Actual construction work Is un-
der way and the booming spirit is
spreading to Port Angeles, Quilcene
and other towns in the district.
The Incorporation of two railroads.
the Pacific & Eastern and the Willapa
& Eastern, representing the Milwaukee
and the O.-W. r. & n. interests, for
the purpose of constructing railroads
into Willapa Harbor, reaching South
Bend and Raymond, has caused great
excitement in those two cities. Sur
veying crews and construction gangs
are at work in the district, and war
between the two railroads to see which
can reach the Harbor first appears to
be imminent.