Book #158: Sons of the Profits by William C. Speidel

 Sons of the Profits

William C. Speidel

 Released: January 1st, 1967

My 24th book for 2026 was William C. Speidel’s "Sons of the Profits".  

If you've never been to Seattle, and gone on Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, make a plan to do so at some point.  When I first got to Seattle in 2016, that was the first thing I did, and I recommend it to everyone venturing into the Emerald City whether for business, pleasure, or waiting to catch an Alaskan Cruise.

The Tour takes you through the history of the city, from it's pre-existing days, to the modern day.  Probably the coolest thing to know is that Seattle is a city built on top of a city.  It burned down in 1889, and was rebuilt one story higher.  There are tons of great jokes and laughs abound.  You will find yourself laughing hysterically as you go downstairs to the original streets of the city.

This book was Speidel's accompanying novel that goes further into depth about shady politicians, illegal prostitution, and exploding toilets that wrecked havoc on a infant Seattle.  Similar to what they always say, Seattle has embraced this concept of "Take a bad idea and run with it".  That's how they explain the Mariners anyway.

The biggest thing to understand is that Seattle is a city built on top of a city.  The original streets that the founding fathers came up back in the day have been raised up and turned into a basement essentially.  

The book jumps around and takes a look at the various people who were responsible for the founding and building of the city.  All in all, Seattle has always had shady characters put into positions of power.  Some would argue it continues to this day.  Somehow it keeps pushing along scar and all.

Arthur Denny was one of the founders of the city.  He came west and settled in the Emerald City looking to build up and grow new business ventures.  His tactics were non-ethical, and his disagreement with Doc Maynard over the layout of the city caused some issues.  Of the many issues he raised, the best one was that Maynard can actually lay out a city while drunk where Denny horribly messed up.  This is why the layout of the city appears to be diagonal in a way.

Henry Yesler was one of the first mayors of the city.  He was full of corruption.  One of his greatest schemes was suing himself (via the city) and then settling with himself out of court to his profit.

David "Doc" Maynard was a founder who worked to build up the early years of the city.  His drawback was being intoxicated a great deal of the time.  He laid out the proper design of the city, which conflicted with Denny's layout.  This caused a huge issue, and was left as seen, causing a strange design shift as you enter the middle-northern parts of downtown.  He was heralded and beloved for his contributions.

Sewage was a huge issue back in the day.  Seattle did not have a sewage system, so they primarily had boxes that could not house all the waste.  When toilets were ordered, there was nowhere to plug them into.  Most of the waste went out with the tides which caused various issues to people depending on the time of day they used them.

In 1889, a pot of glue spilled out and burned down the entire city (after all, it was made of wood).  Many of the mainstays hung around and rebuilt, though it took up to 40 years to be fully completed.  When they rebuilt the city, they laid down a giant "waffle" of sorts and then filled in the cracks to provide a foundation for the city to be built on top of it.  It's crazy to think now, but when you're walking on the city streets, you're actually on the "2nd Floor" of the city.  They had shopkeepers and owners rebuild their businesses with a 2nd story entrance to prepare for the day when it would become the main entrance.

One of the largest financial gains occurred when Madame Lou Graham came to the city, and started a brothel in Pioneer Square.  This served as a frequent stop for the loggers and miners to take care of their personal needs as they built a life in the new city.  The prostitutes were officially considered "seamstresses", and between the taxes, fines, and other things, they accounted for the majority of the city budget.  Giving the implication that Seattle was raised on prostitution.

I only touched on a handful of people, and gave a gist of the many scenarios plaguing the early days of the city.  The history is really interesting if you look into it.  

Here is what I learned:

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• In the spirit of Seattle's founding fathers, this book is dedicated with warmest appreciation to the most important people in the world-the men, women and children who buy it.

• I got this book in 2016 on its 33rd Printing.

• Arthur Denny was the father of Seattle.

• Denny encountered hostile Indians in Idaho.

• Denny never played cards.

• Arthur’s father remarried after his mother passed away.

• Arther married his stepsister Mary Ann on November 23rd, 1843.

• Denny has a memoir.

• 4,200 people were murdered in San Francisco between 1847 and 1854.

• George W. Bush was the first black an to settle in the territory, and for whom the Bush Prairie is named.

• A frow is a device for making cedar shakes.

• Dogfish Oil is not on the list of 10 best fragrances.

• Seattle was born on February 15, 1852.

• Dr. David S. Maynard was Seattle’s first bona-fide drunk.

• Henry stealer got annoyed at anything that cost him money.

• Chief Seattle was the first Son of the Profits.

• Arthur Denny was the second Son of the Profits.

• Charlie Terry was a Son of the Profits.

• Henry Yesler was a bastard.

• Henry Yesler was born in Hagerstown, MD on Dec. 2nd, 1810.

• Maynard died broke.

• The old Civic Auditorium is the Seattle Opera House.

• Henry Yesler Died Dec. 16th, 1892.

• U.S. land once sold for $1.50/acre.

• On May 20th, 1861, the cornerstone for the University of Washington was laid.

• Asa Shinn Mercer was the first president of the Unjversity of Washington

• Loggers in that time made $60-$80/month.

• 1869 was a bonanza year for real estate in Seattle.

• Illahee is a Native American word that roughly translates to “Home Away From Home”.

• It once took 3 days to travel from Portland to Seattle.

• John Pinnell was a Son of the Profits.

• He was not welcome in Tacoma.

• Early Seattle settlers did not think highly of Tacoma.

• They felt it condemned itself as a city.

• Angus MacIntosh was a Son of the Profits.

• “Quit your fooling and get to work.”

• James M Colman built railroads.

• Charles Barstow Wright was the father of the Seattle Establishment.

• The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 made Seattle the major city of the Pacific Northwest.

• The Establishment operated under the belief that Seattle would become the Pittsburgh of the West.

• During a boom, one could buy land in downtown Seattle for $5, and sell it 5 days later for $50.

• The Seattle Fire of 1889 burned down the entire city.

• The World Almanac of 1889 didn’t think it was a biggest enough event to record.

• Nobody died in the Seattle Fire.

• $15 Million of damage was caused.

• 1 million rats were killed.

• Rats didn’t exist the West Coast until 1851.

• A decision was made to raise the streets after the fire to create a sewer, and to rebuild the town.

• Denny did not like this plan and threatened to sue the city into bankruptcy.

• 2 weeks after the fire, 138 new buildings were already under construction.

• Jacob Furth became the biggest banker in the city overnight.

• June 6th, 1889, an overturned pot of glue led to the Seattle Fire.

• The fire also burned down the firehouse.

• Seattle dumped its sewage into Lake Washington.

• Benezette Williams convinced the city that a stream would add 5 million gallons to the water supply.

• R.H. Thompson regraded most of downtown Seattle’s streets.

• Lou Graham was a female Son of the Profits who was in the adult entertainment business.

• Prostitutes were listed as seamstresses when booked in jail.

• Lou would hold jewelry and other prized valuables for her customers.  After her death, their property was returned without questions or embarrassment.

• Lou’s arrest led to the firing of the mayor.

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Overall, the information was really good, but the book reads a bit dry.  I looked at reviews on other places and found the same sentiment.  Speidel wrote a good book, and his tour is a great experience.  I think with a better editor, it could have been just as strong as the tour.  I recommend it for people who want to learn more about the history, corruption and early days of Seattle.  If not, skip it.

Recommended for people interested in the city's founding and growth.

On to Book #159: Rose Madder by Stephen King.

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Need to catch up?  See previous blog post: Against The World.