Editor’s note: Phil Hoffman, an Alki resident and researcher, contributed this essay in the belief that a greater community has a responsibility for its constituent communities and vice versa. If desired, please click on the images to enlarge them.
By Phillip H. Hoffman
The City of West Seattle was incorporated in 1902. The citizens of the City of West Seattle founded the city as a community improvement effort – better streets, utility services and, importantly, public transportation in the form of street railways.
The original city boundaries were, generally, Elliott Bay on the north, east and west, and today’s 54th Place, Lander and Florida Streets on the south. The City of West Seattle was closely aligned with the West Seattle Land and Improvement Company, the operator of the West Seattle Ferry and streetcar railway and a major real-estate developer. Municipal services made possible an urban community on the highlands above Elliott Bay and enhanced the value of the Improvement Company’s real-estate holdings.
Beginning in early 1904, the City of West Seattle undertook a series of annexations significantly enlarging the City of West Seattle’s geographic area. In March, the City of West Seattle annexed a small area defined by today’s California Avenue, Hinds Street, 47th Avenue, and Stevens Street. Just a year later the City of West Seattle nearly tripled in size by annexing the portion of the Duwamish Peninsula south of the then-existing City of West Seattle and generally west of today’s 35th Avenue, south of Brandon Street, west of 24th Avenue, north of Myrtle and Kenyon Streets, east of Puget Sound, south of Juneau Street, east of 47th Avenue, north of Genesee Street and east of 55th Avenue.
The City of West Seattle was on a roll.
Lying outside the newly enlarged City of West Seattle, to the west, was Alki. Since the platting of Alki as the Plat of Alki Point in 1891, there had been some small-scale development, but significant growth was yet to come. The Alki community (about 600 in number1) faced water distribution and access problems. Into the void stepped several landowners from the northeastern corner of Alki. They petitioned to be annexed. On Dec. 3, 1905, these owners led by Charles W. Latham informed the City of West Seattle that they agreed “to work and vote for the annexation of sufficient territory to West Seattle, upon which to extend the West Seattle Railway to Alki Point by the most practical route, in the westerly direction, from the present terminus.”2
The City of West Seattle promptly called a special election on annexation of that area of Alki Point bounded generally by Elliott Bay on the north, and today’s 54th Place and 55th Avenue on the east, Hanford Street and Admiral Way on the south and 64th Avenue on the west.
Lying just beyond the proposed annexation area was the residence of one of the two Alki founding families, the Olsons.4 They were excluded, at whose insistence is unknown, from the annexation area. The Olsons controlled half of the Alki area, including significant properties within and without the proposed annexation area.
Just within the annexation area was the Stockade Hotel, a famous resort of the time, owned by the eldest daughter and son-in-law of Alki’s second founding family, the Hansons. An extension of the street railway stood to improve access to the Stockade Hotel from Seattle’s business district and steam railway stations. At that time, access to the Stockade Hotel was via waterways or horse-drawn wagon up and over the California Avenue ridge from the West Seattle Ferry dock via what is today’s Bonair Avenue, for there was no Alki Avenue as we know today.
On Feb. 24, 1906, the people of the City of West Seattle and Alki voted. Not surprisingly, the people of the City of West Seattle voted overwhelmingly for the annexation 54-2. The voters of Alki said no, 2-20. Two of the original four annexation petitioners had a change of heart or failed to vote that day.5
Nearly seven months later, the issue was revisited. The City of West Seattle called an election for Oct. 6, 1906, to annex the entire Alki area, generally bounded by today’s 55th Avenue on the east, Spokane Street on the south and Elliott Bay and Puget Sound on the north and west. At the same election, the Springhill district (all that south of Alki Point along Puget Sound and north of today’s Juneau Street) and the Youngstown District (south of today’s Hanford Street, east of 35th Avenue, north of Brandon Street and west of the Duwamish) was proposed for annexation as well.
In keeping with precedent, the City of West Seattle voted 163-13 for the annexation proposal. The Youngstown District turned its back on the proposal, 44-134. The Springhill District said yes, 22-2, and the Alki community (this time a much larger area) reversed its prior position, 52-34.6
But all was not settled, for shortly thereafter the entire City of West Seattle voted to be annexed to the City of Seattle, and on July 24, 1907, the City of West Seattle passed out of existence.7 West Seattleites lost a modifier but retained their identity, and Alki was reunited with its original Denny Party patrons.
Did Alki get its street railway line as Charles Latham and his fellow petitioners originally sought? Yes. On June 27, 1907, street railway service was extended to Alki Avenue and Illinois Street near Duwamish Head (the most northerly point of the Duwamish Peninsula), about a mile short of Alki. This service was provided by a privately owned City of Seattle franchisee. In November 1908, the street railway service was extended along Alki Avenue to today’s 63rd Avenue SW and then south along 63rd Avenue to Beach Drive and Orleans Street. The Alki street railway line would be operated until Nov. 17, 1940, when the service was replaced by buses and trackless trolleys.8
The Seattle annexation was a major milestone in Alki’s development. Financially, the City of West Seattle was extremely limited in its resources and ability to finance a program of public capital improvements and urban services. In 1906 and 1907, the City of West Seattle current expenditures fund had planned expenditures of $8,580 and $10,015. But, as of June 30, 1907, the City had a deficit of $5,168, an amount equal to more than half of annual expected expenditures.9
In addition, street improvement cost estimates made during 1906 totaled $42,766. Presumably, neighboring property owners would have paid the bulk of the costs, financed over time through, as was then customary, local improvement district assessments. Even this would have been a drain upon resources for the City of West Seattle, which would have had to pay the street improvements’ up-front costs prior to receipt of assessment installment payments.
Alki, despite its difficult-to-access location, was growing. In less than 10 years, it had just grown from a handful to 600 persons. The Alki property owners had arranged for land subdivision and property development. Public services and improvements were urgent if this scheme were to be successful. Similar circumstances existed throughout the City of West Seattle.
Turning to the City of Seattle was a responsible choice. The City of Seattle had financial resources to extend urban services and finance needed public infrastructure. In fact, the City of Seattle cash balance as of Jan. 1, 1907. was 50 percent greater than the total taxable value of all West Seattle property, and the annual operating expense of the City of West Seattle was three tenths of one percent (.3%) of that of the City of Seattle prior to annexation.10 In short, Seattle was a financial powerhouse relative to that of the City of West Seattle and had the resources to deliver a program of public service and infrastructure improvement.
In short order, the City of Seattle delivered. The Seattle Department of Lighting extended electric utility service in 1911 to Alki along today’s Alki Avenue and an area east of 63rd Avenue. Similar extensions took place south along California Avenue and in the Springhill district.
Property for Alki Beach Park and Alki Playground (now Whale Tail) was acquired in 1910, and the donations for Schmitz Park were accepted in 1908-1910. The trees lining today’s 59th Avenue SW (formerly named Schmitz Boulevard) between Alki Avenue and the Schmitz Park entrance were originally planted by the Seattle Parks Commission in 1908.12
Alki Elementary School was constructed and opened in 1912. Alki Avenue was extended from Duwamish Head, and Admiral Way was opened in 1915. Both of these street projects overcame steep slope and grade challenges and significantly improved Alki access. Water distribution, drainage and sewer improvements rapidly followed, and Alki would become home to 712 persons in 1910 and 2,018 in 1940.13
The physical separation between today’s West Seattle and the rest of Seattle frequently manifests itself in a “go it alone” attitude. Such an attitude in the early years would not have served the community well. Resources would have simply been unavailable to support a thriving urban community.
The history of the annexation of Alki to West Seattle, and, in turn, West Seattle to Seattle is more than the loss of a modifier and reuniting with Alki’s original founders. It is a reminder that our greater community has a responsibility for its constituent communities and that our constituent communities have a similar responsibility for the greater community good.
Footnotes:
1 Author’s calculations from “West Seattle Census of 1907,” republished by Seattle Genealogical Society, Seattle, WA 98111, 1989.
2 Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, City of West Seattle City Clerk’s Files, Box 3 Container 27 Petitions, Alterations of City Boundaries.
3 Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, City of West Seattle City Clerk’s Files, Box 3 Container 27 Petitions, Alterations of City Boundaries.
4 Knud Olson and his business partners Hans Martin and Anna Hanson purchased the Alki area (also known as the Charles C. Terry land claim) from David S. “Doc” Maynard in 1868. Owners previous to the Hansons and Olson had abandoned and given up Alki prospects. The Hansons and Olson farmed and logged Alki and initiated real estate development activities, including the initial 1891 Alki platting, giving rise to the Alki neighborhood known today. Knud Olson lived and worked on Alki until his 1919 death. His children lived on Alki until their 1944 deaths. A grandchild of Knud Olson lived and carried on an Alki real-estate development enterprise until the mid 1970s. Hans Martin and Anna lived at Alki until their 1900 and 1902 deaths. Many of their five children and their children also resided on and undertook an active Alki real-estate interest.
5 Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, City of West Seattle Minutes, Vol. 2, Jan 1, 1905–7 of Jan. 22 and Feb. 26, 1906.
6 Ibid, Oct. 8, 1906.
7 Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, Map Item No. 395, City of Seattle Charter Limits and Annexations, December, 1958.
8 Blanchard, Leslie. The Street Railway Era in Seattle: A Chronicle of Six Decades, Forty Fort, PA, 1968.
9 “Report of the Finance Committee,” Nov. 1, 1905, and Oct. 22, 1906, Containers 4/5, 4/6, and 4/8 of the records of the City of West Seattle, Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, Seattle, WA and “Partial Report of John E. Longfellow, Treasurer of the City of West Seattle, from Jan 1, 1907, to June 30, 1907,” Container 4/1 of the records of the City of West Seattle, Seattle Municipal Archives.
10 City Comptroller of the City of Seattle Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ending Dec. 31, 1907, Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, page 96 (cash balance was $1,547,560), “King County Auditor and Treasurer Statements for 1906 and 1907,” Container 3/8 of the records of the City of West Seattle, Seattle Municipal Archives, City of Seattle, Seattle, WA (assessed valuation was $727,882 in 1905 for 1906 taxes and $1,107,099 in 1906 for 1907 taxes). Annual City of Seattle current fund expenditures in 1907 was $3,500,756. Comptroller Annual Report, page 97, Seattle Municipal Archives.
11 1911 Annual Report, City of Seattle Department of Street Lighting. Seattle Municipal Archives. City of Seattle, Seattle, WA.
12 “Don Sherwood Parks History Files,” City of Seattle, Seattle, WA at http://clerk.seattle.gov/~F_archives/sherwood/sherwood.htm, accessed April 4, 2017.
13 Author’s count from enumeration sheets, by address, within the geographic limits of the Alki area (55th Avenue SW on the east, Spokane Street SW on the south and Puget Sound and Elliott Bay on the north and west) from the 1910 and 1940 United States Decennial Census of Population and Housing.
