What do you think?
Rate this book
Doc Maynard: The Man Who Invented Seattle
Buy Doc The Man Who Invented Seattle on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified ... Doc Maynard-The Man Who Invented Seattle, by Bill Speidel was published ~1978. .... Skid An Informal Portrait of Seattle Paperback.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
4 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
William Speidel
13 books7 followersBill Speidel, founder of the Underground Tour, is remembered as one of the last of a few genuine old-time Seattle characters.
Although Speidel started the world-famous Underground Tour, spearheaded the campaign to preserve Pioneer Square, wrote a best-selling Seattle history (“Sons of the Profits”), and rediscovered one of Seattle’s early heroes (Doc Maynard), he is remembered most for his wit—an irreverent sense of humor—and an unflagging enthusiasm for promoting Seattle’s lusty past.
Speidel graduated from the University of Washington in 1936, during the throws of the depression, with a degree in literature. Out of school, he landed a job as a reporter for The Seattle Times and also wrote a column for the defunct Seattle Star.
In 1946, he quit newspapering and opened his own public relations business, eventually located in Pioneer Square, the city’s birthplace.
Speidel became an ardent preservationist as the bandwagon gained traction in the 1950s and 1960s. He is one of a group of visionaries who saved Pioneer Square by mounting a citizen campaign to convince the city to designate downtown’s oldest neighborhood an historic district, thus sparing from the wrecking ball the largest collection of Victorian-Romanesque buildings in the United States. The Underground Tour, which Speidel founded in 1965, is a by-product of that campaign.
In 1988, Speidel succumbed to a stroke and died at 76. “He was a man of courtliness, grace and good manners,” recalled Emmett Watson, a onetime colleague and eminent columnist. Writing about Speidel in The Seattle Times, Watson (himself now deceased) said, “He was many things in this city: preservationist, promoter, writer, historian, entrepreneur, press agent, political operator, adman, lecturer and publisher.
“Few if any of the Seattle Pioneers, the movers and shakers that he wrote about in a half-dozen historical books, gave as much to this city as the author.”
Although Speidel started the world-famous Underground Tour, spearheaded the campaign to preserve Pioneer Square, wrote a best-selling Seattle history (“Sons of the Profits”), and rediscovered one of Seattle’s early heroes (Doc Maynard), he is remembered most for his wit—an irreverent sense of humor—and an unflagging enthusiasm for promoting Seattle’s lusty past.
Speidel graduated from the University of Washington in 1936, during the throws of the depression, with a degree in literature. Out of school, he landed a job as a reporter for The Seattle Times and also wrote a column for the defunct Seattle Star.
In 1946, he quit newspapering and opened his own public relations business, eventually located in Pioneer Square, the city’s birthplace.
Speidel became an ardent preservationist as the bandwagon gained traction in the 1950s and 1960s. He is one of a group of visionaries who saved Pioneer Square by mounting a citizen campaign to convince the city to designate downtown’s oldest neighborhood an historic district, thus sparing from the wrecking ball the largest collection of Victorian-Romanesque buildings in the United States. The Underground Tour, which Speidel founded in 1965, is a by-product of that campaign.
In 1988, Speidel succumbed to a stroke and died at 76. “He was a man of courtliness, grace and good manners,” recalled Emmett Watson, a onetime colleague and eminent columnist. Writing about Speidel in The Seattle Times, Watson (himself now deceased) said, “He was many things in this city: preservationist, promoter, writer, historian, entrepreneur, press agent, political operator, adman, lecturer and publisher.
“Few if any of the Seattle Pioneers, the movers and shakers that he wrote about in a half-dozen historical books, gave as much to this city as the author.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 29, 2008
Doc Maynard, Seattle's drunkest and most fascinating founder, is one of my personal heroes. He was more interested in creating a cool city than making a shitload of money himself, and he led the first faction of goodtime people in the city, thwarting the wholesome forces of Denny and the other founders. (A battle that still rages in Seattle, I might add.)
I suppose it's appropriate that such a gregarious character should have a gregarious book written about him, but I couldn't help but wish that this book were a little less gregarious. I guess my years of history nerddomc have made me stuffy--but this book has cartoon illustrations for Christ's sake! And no fucking bibliography.
I suppose I should have considered that before buying it, but I was so excited to read an entire book on Doc Maynard that I was willing to chalk it up to the eccentricities of small 70's publishing houses.
Unfortunately, the author's eccentricities are even more annoying than the illustrations. Speidel turns Doc Maynard's life into a sort of 'yarn', the main purpose of which is to excuse the Doc's shortcomings and sing his praises. I'm all about singing Doc Maynard's praises (in fact, someone should write a Pogues-style drinking song about him), but I get annoyed with biographers who become obsessed with clearing their subject of any flaws or blunders, biographers who turn all minor adversaries into villains and try to come up with excuses for even the most ridiculous behavior. (Ron Chernow's excellent but tiring biography of Alexander Hamilton naturally springs to mind.)
As far as historical figures go, Doc Maynard is practically an angel, but the author isn't content with his considerable achievements and seems determined to turn him into some sort of Johnny Appleseed-style tall tale. This involves villanising Maynard's abandoned wife and several other female characters, which comes off seeming immature and sort of sexist. I'm really not easily offended at all, but Speidel annoyed me with his particular brand of liberal machismo. (That said, he was instrumental in the preservation of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, so we have much to thank him for.)
In addition, he has turned up some interesting facts, tidbits, and source documents, so this book is probably worth reading if you are an avid student of Northwestern history.
I suppose it's appropriate that such a gregarious character should have a gregarious book written about him, but I couldn't help but wish that this book were a little less gregarious. I guess my years of history nerddomc have made me stuffy--but this book has cartoon illustrations for Christ's sake! And no fucking bibliography.
I suppose I should have considered that before buying it, but I was so excited to read an entire book on Doc Maynard that I was willing to chalk it up to the eccentricities of small 70's publishing houses.
Unfortunately, the author's eccentricities are even more annoying than the illustrations. Speidel turns Doc Maynard's life into a sort of 'yarn', the main purpose of which is to excuse the Doc's shortcomings and sing his praises. I'm all about singing Doc Maynard's praises (in fact, someone should write a Pogues-style drinking song about him), but I get annoyed with biographers who become obsessed with clearing their subject of any flaws or blunders, biographers who turn all minor adversaries into villains and try to come up with excuses for even the most ridiculous behavior. (Ron Chernow's excellent but tiring biography of Alexander Hamilton naturally springs to mind.)
As far as historical figures go, Doc Maynard is practically an angel, but the author isn't content with his considerable achievements and seems determined to turn him into some sort of Johnny Appleseed-style tall tale. This involves villanising Maynard's abandoned wife and several other female characters, which comes off seeming immature and sort of sexist. I'm really not easily offended at all, but Speidel annoyed me with his particular brand of liberal machismo. (That said, he was instrumental in the preservation of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, so we have much to thank him for.)
In addition, he has turned up some interesting facts, tidbits, and source documents, so this book is probably worth reading if you are an avid student of Northwestern history.
January 25, 2012
Love Speidel's sense of humor and the way he tells the truth about his history! The best part of reading this book was the entertainment value - no boring, dusty old tome here. Speidel makes the pioneers of the Pacific Northwest come alive. Just goes to show that we can have heroes that are real and down to earth, rather than starched, stuffy and the image of perfection. Really enjoyed this book, and because I live here found the references to the geography & history of the area very interesting.
September 6, 2023
I got this book after taking an underground tour of Seattle, in the area the book refers to as Maynardtown with my girlfriend and two other friends. Bill Speidel, the author began these tours decades ago and his book was in the gift shop at the end of the tour, so I picked it up. I was pleasantly surprised by Speidel's choice of prose and the way he managed to bring a sense of humor to the reader along with some interesting background on the founding of Seattle and of Washington State. The narrator seems to be telling us these anecdotes with a grin, and it adds to the enjoyment of the reader. The illustrations (also designed by the author) also add to the fun of the read.
June 21, 2020
I have to give Bill Speidel credit for his thorough research and willingness to correct the history of Seattle. I’m glad that the behaviors of the settlers towards the Native Americans indigenous to the Pacific Northwest was not whitewashed nor sugarcoated. That said, the writing was far too conversational and at times confusing. I love a good conversational nonfiction tale, but this one was very scattered and there were too many topics of which the author assumed the reader is already knowledgable.
December 17, 2019
An entertaining tale of one of Seattle’s founding fathers.
February 28, 2008
I found this book to be really fascinating and informative at the same time. 'Ol Doc Maynard was a very clever and Shrewd character. Long past what was considered the prime of men in his day, he turned what was an uninteresting tract of forrest into what would become one of the most important and iconic cities of the Northwest and the entire West Coast.
I bought this book at the little underground (literally) shop at the end of the underground city tour in Seattle, WA. If you are ever in Seattle and have a few hours to spend, I highly reccomend taking the underground walking tour. You will actually get to walk around under the present day city at original street level. After a catastrophic fire the city's stret level was raised to the level of the then second story of most of the downtown area. The surviving underground storefronts were used during the goldrush days by prospectors making bulk purchases before heading north in search of gold. Eventually abandoned, you can tour the area and see the efforts to restore and preserve this unique piece of history.
I bought this book at the little underground (literally) shop at the end of the underground city tour in Seattle, WA. If you are ever in Seattle and have a few hours to spend, I highly reccomend taking the underground walking tour. You will actually get to walk around under the present day city at original street level. After a catastrophic fire the city's stret level was raised to the level of the then second story of most of the downtown area. The surviving underground storefronts were used during the goldrush days by prospectors making bulk purchases before heading north in search of gold. Eventually abandoned, you can tour the area and see the efforts to restore and preserve this unique piece of history.
July 9, 2013
As biographies go, this one's not bad. Speidel writes more like he were telling you a story around the fireplace, and less like he were teaching you history - which I appreciate greatly. In other words, even if you don't like history much you can still enjoy this book.
On the other hand, the event can sometimes be hard to follow, and certain details get glossed over for the sake of storytelling. I would have liked some of the events to be spelled out a little more.
Doc Maynard is no doubt one of the most colorful and interesting men you could read about. Responsible, trustworthy, and moral, he nonetheless had done with propriety and could care less what people said about him.
I will warn you that the part that deals with the Native Americans (one chapter) is a little depressing. As is almost every such chapter in any American history ever. Doc came out on the right side of history, or as close to it as anyone. (He was "not so much pro-Indian as anti-annihilation".) Still, it's the hardest part of the book to read.
On the other hand, the event can sometimes be hard to follow, and certain details get glossed over for the sake of storytelling. I would have liked some of the events to be spelled out a little more.
Doc Maynard is no doubt one of the most colorful and interesting men you could read about. Responsible, trustworthy, and moral, he nonetheless had done with propriety and could care less what people said about him.
I will warn you that the part that deals with the Native Americans (one chapter) is a little depressing. As is almost every such chapter in any American history ever. Doc came out on the right side of history, or as close to it as anyone. (He was "not so much pro-Indian as anti-annihilation".) Still, it's the hardest part of the book to read.
October 1, 2016
A fun lesson in history of Washington State and Seattle. Informal style and humorous theme enhance the story about Seattle's founder. A drunk, a doctor, a lawyer, a philanthropist, a politician, a bigamist, and a scoundrel--he turned a hilly, sopping wet timber stand into the city it is today. All in five years or so from 1850-55. If you don't like history, you'll still like this book. The stories relate to real places and even though it was written decades ago, they still exist. I especially liked the story about doctoring to Arthur Denny with opium based laudanum and then making him sign over the rights to most of what is now downtown Seattle. Or...how he left his wife in Cleveland, trekked across the plains heading for the California gold fields, fell in love with another woman and followed her to Seattle...created it in the image of Cleveland. :-) Doc Maynard is a colorful character and Spiedel tells it like it is.
January 28, 2016
This book was okay. One of its greatest strengths is also one of its greatest weaknesses. The writer tries too hard to sound conversational in tone, and as a result, sacrifices (in my opinion) some of his credibility. I get that he didn't want to sound too scholarly, but I wasn't sure when he was pulling information from legitimate sources and when he was using poetic license. I didn't read Sons of Profits first, and now I'm wishing that I had, since there are several references to his first book.
Overall, it's a fun read, if a bit rambling. Also, if you are easily irked by the overuse of ellipses...avoid this book.
Overall, it's a fun read, if a bit rambling. Also, if you are easily irked by the overuse of ellipses...avoid this book.
July 13, 2010
I borrowed this book from a co-worker after traveling to Seattle. Bill Speidel writes in a story-teller fashion to relate the history of the founding of Seattle. It is very interesting, but the latter half of the book lacked a good organization and my mind started to wander when reading. Those who are interested in Seattle and its history will enjoy the book, as well as Speidel's folksy method of history-telling.
May 25, 2014
I was turned on to this book after taking the Underground Tour in February. I did enjoy the book, I was born and have lived most of my life in the Pacific Northwest, so I easily related to the content and location descriptions. I did, however, have a bit of a tougher time following the layout of events. In many situations Speidel gets things quite jumbled up and doesn't seem to tie events together in an order that was easy to follow. Good book, lots of interesting historical info though!
January 10, 2011
One of the most entertaining biographies I have ever read. This is the true story of David "Doc" Maynard, whose business savvy and foresight paved the way for the founding of Seattle, WA. Speidel's writing style is a great mix of fact and humor. If you live, or lived, or plan to live, in Seattle....you should read this.
April 22, 2014
A very detailed and informative history on the history of Seattle looking into the lives of Doc Maynard and Arthur Denny and their plans, plots and scandals of the making of the city. All done with a good twist of humor.
July 13, 2013
A fun romp through the history of Seattle.
November 5, 2015
This book is for anyone with a great sense of humor.....read it!
February 14, 2016
A fun lesson in history of Washington State and Seattle.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews