Historical Note
The Harbor Department was created by the City Charter of 1890. The
Charter authorized the City Council to regulate wharfage and dockage tolls,
regulate landings and berths for water craft, and provide general control of
wharves and docks. The City Council could also order construction of wharves,
docks, and other "landing places." The Port Warden was appointed by the mayor
as the head of the Harbor Department.
In 1962, the charter article creating the Harbor Department and office
of the Port Warden was repealed by charter amendment; the functions of the
department were assigned to other city departments by ordinance.
Content Description
The Port Warden monthly reports include statistics on tonnage and value
of goods imported and exported through the port of Seattle. Import and export
information is organized by port of origination or destination and further
organized by type of merchandise. Also included is information on arrivals and
departures of vessels, number of passsengers and ports of destination, and
financial information (including revenues and disbursements) for the Harbor
Department's office.