Sons of the Profits, Or, There's No Business Like Grow Business: The Seattle Story, 1851-1901 [B2106]

1967 HC in nice clean condition except for the missing dust jacket. From local historian Bill Speidel, an irreverent, foundational history of Seattle's first 50 years. It details how the city transformed from a rough frontier settlement into a booming metropolis through shrewd land speculation, the Klondike Gold Rush, and a relentless, growth-obsessed culture driven by the city's early pioneers. The book strips away the polished mythology of early Seattle to reveal the pragmatic, often scandalous, and profit-driven motives of its founders. Written with humor and a deep dive into the city's early public records, the book remains a classic for understanding the Pacific Northwest's historical DNA.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Very amusing writing style, a little too heavy on the railroad history for my personal tastes but I also understand the importance of it to the city. I loved the Seattle Underground tour and this book was a great way to relive the memories!"; "Entertaining, but written so flavorfully that it's a little hard to decipher at times haha. The folklore-lover in me wants to believe all the colorful stories, but the academic in me has to question some of them."; "Seattle began with rough, gritty and greedy men. Sobering bit of history."; "For anyone spending time in the environs of Seattle, it is a classic, and I'm only sorry it took me more than forty years to get around to reading it."