Back in 1888 there were no bridges, no train trestles across the tide flats from Beacon Hill to Pigeon Hill. There weren’t any reliable boats to West Seattle from Seattle. There was all this land with lush forests and stunning views to develop housing for the growing population. In order for the developers to be successful in showing the newcomers this beautiful peninsula they ran into the transportation problem. Therefore, in 1888 the West Seattle Land and Improvement Company, a group of developers and real estate brokers, invested $35,000 in a steam-powered side-wheeler named The City of Seattle. The maiden voyage was on December 24, 1888 with the first regularly scheduled run on Ney Year’s Eve. The ferry ran between the Seattle Waterfront and the West Seattle ferry dock which was just north of where Salty’s is currently located. The ferry brought potential buyers to West Seattle. Sales were slow at first until the Great Seattle Fire; June 6, 1889 sparked the development in West Seattle. And the rest is history.
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