Rucker Brothers

They hoped that the site, near the mouth of the Snohomish River, would attract the Great Northern Railway, which was then building track toward Puget Sound.

Hewitt had lined up a group of wealthy investors, led by Charles Colby and Colgate Hoyt and backed by John D. Rockefeller.

The Rucker brothers survived the economic downturn, and when Rockefeller and his colleagues were ready to divest themselves of their failed investment, the Ruckers helped arrange the deal by which the Everett Land Company's interests were sold to a new entity, the Everett Improvement Company, controlled by the Great Northern's James J. Hill.

[3] Prosperity returned to Everett around 1900, and the Rucker brothers were among the city's leading citizens, with extensive investments in local real estate, banks, and other ventures.

[4] The scenic mountain railway became popular with tourists from Everett, some of whom stayed at the Ruckers' hotel in the mining town of Silverton, Washington.

[citation needed] The Rucker mansion, a three-story, 7,800-square-foot (720 m2) brick home built on a hill overlooking Puget Sound (412 Laurel Drive, Everett),[6] was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.