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closePuyallup — the center of the universe
Vintage Vignettes: Shaun Scott
On June 28, 1892, at the height of hop growing in the valley, the Board of Trade was established in Puyallup, with L.W. Hill as president, George Spurr as vice president, H.H. Blackburn as treasurer and Wm M. Siemen as secretary.
By Aug. 5, the following committees were established: Entertainment, City Interests, State/National Legislation, Commerce and Manufacturing, Insurance and Taxation, Transportation, Public Policy and Hotel Visitation. We know this because the minutes of the organization were kept in meticulous penmanship in a leather-covered logbook, 12 by 18 inches and 3 inches thick.
At the time, Puyallup was one of the wealthiest towns in the state and the center of hop commerce. On Jan. 20,1893, a committee was appointed to “…draft a bill to be submitted to the legislature, looking to the removal of the State Capital to this city.” By Feb. 10, this charter was enlarged to “…prepare a letter to be sent to senators and representatives, setting forth the advantages of Puyallup as a State Capital and further guaranteeing temporary quarters for State Officers.”
So did the letter get sent? However tantalizing the prospect, we learn nothing more from the minutes. We do learn that the meeting of the Board of Trade on Oct. 13 was adjourned with election of officers proposed for the next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 20. However, the next record of such a meeting is Feb. 11, 1901.
In the meantime the hop growers had been dealing with the hop louse infestation, and the business community had been coping with the Panic of 1893. Ezra Meeker, elected to the Board of Trade in 1893, had worked his way through his bank crash, hypothecated his holdings to repay his depositors, lost his mortgaged holdings due to a glut of hops in the market, and a resultant lowering of the price of hops that was less than the cost of growing them. In addition, he had organized his mining company, established his trading company in Dawson City, Yukon, sold it to his son, and returned home for his 50th wedding anniversary.
Today’s Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce is the direct descendant of the Board of Trade, though its name and place of business have changed many times between then and now. In each move several large logs and many other historical records have been lovingly passed along. Fortunately, the leadership of the organization has recognized the historic value of these documents, which are now under the care of the Ezra Meeker Historical Society.
Although it brings a chuckle today, the city fathers of 1892 appeared quite serious about their bid to move the capital to their town — Puyallup, the Center of the Universe.