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Columbia City Records, 1893-1913

Overview of the Collection

Creator
City of Columbia (King County, Wash.)
Title
Columbia City Records
Dates
1893-1913 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.8 cubic ft., (7 boxes and 6 volumes)
Collection Number
9112
Summary
The City of Columbia records include city council minutes, ordinances, City Clerk's files, demands and warrants, a register of warrants, and local improvement district files for the small municipality that was annexed to the City of Seattle in 1907.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The 1890 establishment of the Seattle, Renton, and Southern Railway and aggressive promotion of real estate brought settlers to the mill town of Columbia. The town's thriving lumber industry helped supply Seattle with timber for reconstruction after the Great Fire of 1889, and many goods were also shipped to Columbia from Seattle via the railroad.

Columbia was incorporated in 1892 with a five-member Town Council which quickly established a Board of Health to employ a "reputable physician" charged with examining cases of contagious disease. A volunteer fire department was created in 1902 including a hose company and, soon thereafter, a chemical company. In 1903, Columbia reached a contractual agreement with the City of Seattle for the purchase of water. Also in that year, the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company received a franchise to install and operate an electrical power plant for the town.

Columbia achieved city of the third class status in 1905 when its population reached 1500, the required total established by State law. The Mayor called a special election in September of 1905 and the public voted in favor of the "advancement of the Town of Columbia to a city of the third class."

Annexation to the City of Seattle came in 1907 following a petition by citizens to the City Council to hold a special election on the matter. Although opposition to annexation had initially been strong, due to citizens' desire for local control, the March 5 vote was overwhelming, 109-3 in favor of annexation to Seattle. Consolidation occurred on May 3, 1907.

The Columbia City neighborhood, with much of its historical core intact, was designated a Seattle Landmark District in 1978.

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Other Descriptive Information

City of Columbia Mayors:

C. P. Hutchesen, 1893-1894

V. R. Peirson, 1895-1896

C. F. Reeves, 1897-1899

H. H. A. Hastings, 1900

J. Campbell, 1900

V. R. Peirson, 1900-1904

W. W. Phalen, 1905

A. G. Corbett, 1906

W. W. Phalen, 1907

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Content Description

The City of Columbia records date from 1893 to 1913 and include proceedings of Columbia City Council meetings, ordinances passed by the City Council, administrative records of Columbia filed with the City Clerk, a register of demands against the City of Columbia, a register of warrants issued by the City, and local improvement district files. The City Clerk records include correspondence, reports of City officials, contracts, citizen petitions, permits, and other filings; the Local Improvement District files include majority petitions, assessment rolls, collection receipts, contracts, bonds, cost estimates, and reports. The bulk of the records covers the years 1905-1907.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], City of Columbia Records, Record Series 9112-[xx], [Record Series Title]. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The City of Columbia Records are arranged in six series:

Series I: Council Minutes (9112-01)

Series II: Ordinances (9112-02)

Series III: City Clerk's Files (9112-03)

Series IV: Demands and Warrants (9112-04)

Series V: Register of Warrants (9112-05)

Series VI: Local Improvement District Files (9112-06)

Within each series, records are arranged chronologically or alphabetically by subject.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Annexation (Municipal government)--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • City councils--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Civic improvement--Washington (State)--Seattle

Geographical Names

  • Columbia (King County, Wash.)--Politics and government
  • Columbia City (Seattle, Wash.)--Politics and government
  • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

  • Minutes
  • Ordinances

Finding aid prepared by Scott Cline
1989

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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