In 1906, Seattle was enjoying nearly a decade of prosperity that had begun in 1897 with the arrival of the first Klondike gold. The growing city had a new public library and a new railroad station, and boosters continued to promote the city as a center for business and trade in the Pacific Northwest. Songs like "Seattle Dear Seattle," complete with population figures and a waterfront image prominently displayed on its front cover, were part of this promotion effort.
<p>The words and music for "Seattle Dear Seattle" were written by James Crossley Chaffer (1874-1939), a recent immigrant from England who had also written a song for Tacoma. At the time, Mr. Chaffer was the proprietor of a theatre in Olympia; he later moved with his family to Vancouver, British Columbia, and worked as a music teacher. The back cover of "Seattle Dear Seattle" has an ad containing an excerpt of a second song, "A Washington Girl for Mine."
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<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Sheet music covers; Songs &amp; music</li>
<li>People: Chaffer, J. C. (James Crossley), 1874-1939</li></ul>
Chaffer, James Crossley
1906<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1906-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/search">Museum of History and Industry</a>