1896-1910

A new Freeholders Charter was adopted in 1896 which returned the City Council to a single body with 13 members. The nine individuals who were elected to the House of Delegates at the General Election of 1896 served on the new Council (each serving a two-year term) and the top four of the five persons elected at the same election to the Board of Aldermen comprised the balance of the Council. Of the latter four members, the top two vote-getters served four years and the remaining two served two years. The amendment also provided that in the election of 1898, the City Council would be composed of one member elected to a two-year term from each of the City's nine wards and four at-large members elected to four-year terms.

1896-1898
William Chapman
Robert J. Dodds
George N. Gilson
Ezra Herrman
James E. Crichton (President)
J.A. James
F.H. Hurd
William McArdle
Thomas Navin
George Raymond
H.P. Rude
D.G. Rudy
John Taylor

  • Dodds died May 23, 1898. Castleman was appointed June 6, 1898 to fill the vacancy.

1898-1900
W.V. Rinehart (President)
John Taylor
H.P. Rude
William McArdle
Thomas Navin
Frank M. Muldoon
James E. Crichton
J.A. James
Homer M. Hill
Hiram C. Gill
H.W. Castleman
Leonard Diller
William Crawford
Robert J. Dodds


1900-1902
Scott Benjamin
Jed G. Blake
Alpheus Byers
Thomas Navin
Frank M. Muldoon
James E. Crichton
J.A. James
William H. Murphy
Will H. Parry
W.V. Rinehart
John Taylor
H.P. Rude
W.H. Vincent


1902-1904
Patrick Fitzpatrick
Ellis Morrison
John C. Redward
James E. Crichton
J.A. James
William H. Murphy
Will H. Parry (President)
W.V. Rinehart
John Taylor
H.P. Rude
Hiram C. Gill
Abraham Kistler
F.P. Mullen


1904-1906
Theodore M. Daulton
Scott Benjamin
H.P. Rude
James E. Crichton
Hiram C. Gill (President)
William H. Murphy
Frank P. Mullen
James Conway
James Johnston
Arnold Zbinden
D.W. Bowen
C.H. Burnett, Jr.
Irving T. Cole


The City Charter was amended in 1905 to add two new wards to the City's political boundaries, increasing the size of the City Council to 15 members.

1906-1908
Arnold Zbinden
D.W. Bowen (President)
C.H. Burnett, Jr.
James E. Crichton
Hiram C. Gill
William H. Murphy
Frank P. Mullen
James Conway
Ellis Morrison
Albert G. Keene
Frederick Sawyer
Thomas P. Revelle
R.T. Reynolds
F.H. Hurd
James Kelso
William M. Hines
J.T. Armstrong
Ferdinand Schmitz

  • The Charter was amended in May 1907 to add two new wards to the City, increasing the Council to 17 members. Hines and Armstrong were elected.
  • The Charter was amended in July 1907 to add one new ward to the City, increasing the Council to 18 members. Schmitz was elected.

1908-1910
Albert J. Goddard
William M. Hines (President)
J.T. Armstrong
F.H. Hurd
Frederick Sawyer
Thomas P. Revelle
Hiram C. Gill (President)
William H. Murphy
Frank P. Mullen
James Conway
Arnold Zbinden
Eugene W. Way
H.F. Jackson
J.M. Sparkman
Alexander McKinnon
Alfred E. Parker
W.H. Weaver
Max Wardall


1910-1911
John M. Wolfe
W.H. Weaver
Max Wardall
F.P. Mullen
James Conway
Arnold Zbinden
Eugene W. Way
Frederick Sawyer
Thomas P. Revelle
J.W. Bullock
Joe Schlumpf
James Y.C. Kellogg
E.L. Blaine
J.N. Denney
Volly P. Hart
Henry C. Bohlke

Municipal Archives, City Clerk

Anne Frantilla, City Archivist
Address: 600 Fourth Avenue, Third Floor, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94728, Seattle, WA, 98124-4728
Phone: (206) 684-8353
archives@seattle.gov

The Office of the City Clerk maintains the City's official records, provides support for the City Council, and manages the City's historical records through the Seattle Municipal Archives. The Clerk's Office provides information services to the public and to City staff.