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307:, and its railroad terminals. The fire would be called the most destructive fire in the history of Seattle. Despite the massive destruction of property, few to no deaths occurred. Some claim a young boy named James Goin was killed in the blaze although no reliable records have been found from that time. However, there were fatalities during the cleanup process. Over 1 million rodents were killed. Total losses were estimated at nearly $ 20 million ($ 678 million in 2023 dollars).
266:, operating out of temporary facilities in the wake of the fire, reported incorrectly that the incident began in "Jim McGough's paint shop, under Smith's boot and shoe store, at the corner of Front and Madison streets, in what was known as the Denny block"; a correction two weeks later said that it "actually started in the Clairmont and Company cabinet shop, below McGough's shop in the basement of the Pontius building", but the original error was often repeated, including in
47:
274:(1951). John Back, a 24-year-old Swede, was heating the glue over a gasoline fire when it boiled over, igniting the wood chips and turpentine covering the floor. Back attempted to douse the fire with water which only served to spread the fire further. The fire department arrived by 2:45, but by that time the area was so smokey that the source of the fire could not be determined.
975:
207 images (ca. 1858ā1903) collected and annotated by Thomas Prosch, one of
Seattle's earliest pioneers. Images document scenes in Eastern Washington especially Chelan and vicinity, images of the waterfront, businesses, residences, and Seattle's early history including the Great Seattle Fire of 1889;
458:
was officially established four months later to replace a volunteer organization with a paid force containing new firehouses and a new chief. The city took control of the water supply, increasing the number of hydrants and adding larger pipes. The advent of brick buildings to downtown
Seattle was one
282:
Fed by the shop's timber and an unusually dry summer, the blaze erupted and shortly devoured the entire block. A nearby liquor store exploded, and the alcohol fueled the flames. The fire quickly spread north to the Kenyon block and the nearby
Madison and Griffith blocks. Wooden boardwalks carried the
441:
In the year following the fire
Seattle's population actually grew by nearly 20,000 to 40,000 inhabitants from the influx of people helping to recreate the city. Supplies and funds came from all over the West Coast to support the relief effort. The population increase made Seattle the largest city in
235:
began construction of the first steam-powered mill in the
Pacific Northwest. Because of the easy access to lumber, nearly every building was constructed of the affordable, but combustible timber. Additionally, because the area was at or below sea level, the fledgling town was a frequent victim of
459:
of the many architectural improvements the city made in the wake of the fire. New city ordinances set standards for the thickness of walls and required "division walls" between buildings. These changes became principal features of post-fire construction and are still visible in
Seattle's
982:
Ongoing database of over 1,700 historical photographs of
Seattle with special emphasis on images depicting neighborhoods, recreational activities including baseball, the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, "The Great Snow of 1916", theaters and
429:
Despite the magnitude of destruction, the rebuilding effort began quickly. Rather than starting over somewhere else, Seattle's citizens decided to rebuild. Seattle rebuilt from the ashes quickly, and the fire killed many rats and other
290:
were sparsely located on every other street, usually connected to small pipes. There were so many hydrants in use during the fire that the water pressure was too weak to fight such a massive blaze. Seattle was also operated by a
405:
187:. Seattle quickly rebuilt using brick buildings that sat 20 feet (6.1 m) above the original street level. Its population swelled during reconstruction, becoming the largest city in the newly admitted state of Washington.
962:
88 photographs, ca. 1888ā1893, of early
Seattle, including the waterfront and street scenes, the Great Seattle fire of June 6, 1889, Madrona and Leschi parks, Native American hop pickers, and portraits of Seattle
199:
Looking west on Mill Street (today's Yesler Way) across Front Street (today's First Avenue) June 5, 1889, one day before this district burned. Korn block on left; Yesler-Leary
Building, center; Occidental Hotel,
236:
massive floods, requiring buildings to be built on wooden stilts. The town also used hollowed out scrap logs propped up on wooden braces as sewer and water pipes, increasing the combustible loading.
959:
398:
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At approximately 2:20 p.m. on June 6, 1889, an accidentally overheated glue pot in a carpentry shop started the most destructive fire in the history of
Seattle. The next day, the
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286:
A combination of ill-preparedness and unfortunate circumstances contributed to the great fire. Seattle's water supply was insufficient in fighting the giant inferno.
997:
90:
179:, on June 6, 1889. The conflagration lasted for less than a day, burning through the afternoon and into the night, during the same summer as the
902:
Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, "After the Fire: The Influence of H. H. Richardson on the Rebuilding of Seattle, 1889ā1894,"
596:
550:
1037:
944:
787:
642:
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The great Seattle fire of June 6, 1889: containing a succinct and complete account of the greatest conflagration on the Pacific coast.
1027:
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471:, where they can visit the original street level (now basement level) of buildings and storefronts that were built after the fire.
256:
Aftermath of Seattle fire of June 6, 1889, looking east at the ruins of the Occidental Hotel at corner of James St. and Yesler Way
616:
920:
Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, "Meeting the Danger of Fire: Design and Construction in Seattle after 1889."
1042:
244:
969:
Photographs (ca. 1850sā1940) depicting activities in Washington state, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska and the Klondike.
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By the morning of June 7, the fire had burned 25 city blocks, including the entire business district, four of the city's
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434:, thereby eliminating the city's rodent problems. A new building ordinance resulted in a downtown of brick and
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83:
17:
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220:, the party relocated to the eastern shores and established the settlement that would become Seattle.
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467:, guided tours are also available to paying customers. Also at this location, visitors can tour the
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Looking south on Front St. from Spring St. about one-half hour after the fire started
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trees made Seattle the perfect location for shipping lumber to California. In 1852,
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Early Seattle was dominated by the logging industry. The combination of a safe
1011:
267:
105:
92:
517:"Ten who shaped Seattle: Henry Yesler struck gold in lumber and real estate"
899:, Historical Society of Seattle and King County, Seattle 1986, pp. 108ā115.
422:
This stack of dishes fused together by the fire is on display at Seattle's
287:
232:
577:
Austin, Charles W.; H.S. Scott. "The Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889".
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Washington, making it a leading contender in becoming the terminus of the
217:
205:
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Firefighting at Front St. (now 1st Ave.) near Madison St. (June 6, 1889)
228:
729:. University of Washington Libraries. January 23, 2007. Archived from
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953:
46:
868:
Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H. Richardson
911:
Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H.Richardson
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171:
was a fire that destroyed the entire central business district of
30:"Seattle Fire" redirects here. For Seattle's fire department, see
853:
Distant Neighbors: A Comparative History of Seattle and Vancouver
172:
72:
295:, which was competent but inadequate in extinguishing the fire.
431:
304:
216:. After spending a miserable winter on the western shores of
855:. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 33ā38.
454:
Seattle made many improvements in response to the fire. The
870:. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 55ā110.
991:
John Caldbick, The Great Seattle Fire, Part 1, essay 21090
27:
1889 fire which destroyed downtown Seattle, Washington, US
865:
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district today, the present-day location of the fire. At
224:
408:
Looking toward Elliott Bay from the burned-over district
954:
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
825:. Vol. 22, no. 27. July 4, 1889. p. 5.
666:"The Great Seattle Fire ā Don't Blame Jimmie McGough"
579:
Washington State Genealogical and Historical Review
909:Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan,
866:Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl; Dennis A. Andersen (2003).
1009:
614:
594:
514:
413:
283:flames across streets to ignite other blocks.
886:Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood
995:Seattle, WA The Great Seattle Fire, Jun 1889
784:University of Washington Digital Collections
617:"The P-I error that changed Seattle history"
597:"The P-I error that changed Seattle history"
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698:. Morris Book Publishing. pp. 25ā32.
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967:Asahel Curtis Photo Company Photographs
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672:from the original on December 27, 2008
645:from the original on December 22, 2008
641:. University of Washington Libraries.
603:from the original on September 4, 2018
595:Casey McNerthney (September 1, 2018).
515:James R. Warren (September 25, 2001).
492:. Boulevards New Media. Archived from
694:McNair-Huff, Rob and Natalie (2006).
684:
565:
239:
64:2:45 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.
932:The Day Seattle Burned: June 6, 1889
790:from the original on August 10, 2015
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310:Among the businesses affected were:
270:'s bestselling Seattle history book
148:($ 678 million in 2023 dollars)
1038:1889 disasters in the United States
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24:
945:University of Washington Libraries
878:
835:
615:Casey McNerthney (July 22, 2011).
25:
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884:Andrews, Mildred Tanner, editor,
756:. HistoryLink.org. Archived from
613:This is an update of the earlier
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1028:Urban fires in the United States
553:from the original on May 9, 2024
543:"The Great Seattle Fire of 1889"
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1033:1889 fires in the United States
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836:Davies, Kent R. "Sea of Fire".
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752:Greg Lange (January 16, 1999).
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924:93 (Summer 2002), pp. 115ā126.
915:University of Washington Press
890:University of Washington Press
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599:. Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
508:
481:
424:Museum of History and Industry
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1:
973:Prosch Washington Views Album
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438:buildings, rather than wood.
519:. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
212:in what is now the state of
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1043:Fires in Washington (state)
922:Pacific Northwest Quarterly
906:17 (Spring 2003), pp. 7ā15.
851:MacDonald, Norbert (1987).
414:Reconstruction and recovery
10:
1059:
1018:1889 in Washington (state)
960:Boyd and Braas Photographs
917:, Seattle and London 2003.
892:, Seattle and London 2005.
263:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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1000:January 18, 2022, at the
808:Austin & Scott, p. 45
293:volunteer fire department
204:In the fall of 1851, the
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780:"The Great Seattle Fire"
639:"The Great Seattle Fire"
299:Magnitude of destruction
456:Seattle Fire Department
32:Seattle Fire Department
754:"Seattle's Great Fire"
581:(Spring, 1983): 41ā72.
444:Great Northern Railway
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257:
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106:47.60444Ā°N 122.33639Ā°W
840:(Summer 2001): 32ā38.
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353:John Leck, iron works
328:Washington Iron Works
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247:
198:
185:Great Ellensburg Fire
976:see: pp. 48ā56.
947:Austin, Charles W.,
897:Seattle in the 1880s
819:"Industrial Summary"
723:"Great Seattle Fire"
696:Washington Disasters
383:Seattle Hardware Co.
227:and an abundance of
135:Structures destroyed
111:47.60444; -122.33639
77:Washington Territory
1004:at GenDisasters.com
980:Seattle Photographs
727:Digital Collections
469:Seattle Underground
372:Gordon Hardware Co.
161:Overheated glue pot
102: /
1023:History of Seattle
760:on October 7, 2016
427:
364:Front Street Cable
258:
250:
240:Events of the fire
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181:Great Spokane Fire
169:Great Seattle Fire
40:Great Seattle Fire
838:Columbia Magazine
823:Iron Trade Review
496:on March 31, 2009
490:"Seattle History"
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676:December 17,
674:. Retrieved
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649:December 17,
647:. Retrieved
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621:. Retrieved
607:September 4,
605:. Retrieved
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523:December 16,
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498:. Retrieved
494:the original
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233:Henry Yesler
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146:$ 20 million
18:Seattle Fire
218:Elliott Bay
208:arrived at
206:Denny Party
109: /
97:122Ā°20ā²11ā³W
84:Coordinates
1012:Categories
794:August 10,
547:The Ledger
475:References
322:Insurance
229:coniferous
214:Washington
210:Alki Point
177:Washington
94:47Ā°36ā²16ā³N
963:pioneers.
389:$ 30,000
378:$ 30,000
375:$ 120,000
367:$ 15,000
335:$ 20,000
272:Skid Road
998:Archived
904:Columbia
788:Archived
737:June 29,
670:Archived
643:Archived
623:July 30,
601:Archived
551:Archived
386:$ 40,000
359:$ 1,000
356:$ 12,000
348:$ 1,000
345:$ 45,000
332:$ 40,000
183:and the
153:Ignition
69:Location
316:Company
305:wharves
173:Seattle
122:Impacts
73:Seattle
57:Date(s)
702:
557:May 9,
432:vermin
319:Damage
200:right.
143:Damage
127:Deaths
436:stone
158:Cause
796:2021
766:2008
739:2007
700:ISBN
678:2008
651:2008
625:2011
609:2018
559:2024
525:2008
502:2008
167:The
225:bay
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130:1
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20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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