George V. Frye

George Frederick Frye (June 15, 1833 – May 2, 1912) was one of Seattle's first developers and businessmen and an active City Council member. He played a significant role in Seattle's conversion from a small settlement into a modern city. Frye developed bakery, butcher, and lumber businesses in the city. With Seattle founders Arthur A. Denny and Henry L. Yesler, he established the first sawmill and grist mill of the city. Frye erected a number of significant Seattle buildings. His first building was the Frye Opera House, which burned down during the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. On its site, Frye erected a new five-story brick building, Hotel Stevens. At the site of the Frye family house, he erected Hotel Barker. One of Frye's most-known buildings was his last one: the eleven-story fireproof Hotel Frye.