| Yikes... 🔥 |
The fire started on the corner of Front Street (now First Avenue) and Madison. | Photo via Seattle City Archives
|
| A few weeks ago, we asked what you wanted to learn about this year and quite a big percentage mentioned local history. So why not dive into one of the wildest stories in city lore: the Great Seattle Fire of 1889? Saddle up, y’all. There are some serious whoa moments ahead. Quick beginningsIt’s 2:30 p.m. on June 6, 1889 and the fire begins with an honest mistake. An employee of a wood and paint shop at Front Street (now First Avenue) accidentally kicks a pot of hot glue over into a pile of wood shavings next to him.When the fire catches, the staff member tries to douse the fire with a bucket of water, however... this causes the turpentine in the glue to spread and the fire along with it. At 2:45 p.m., the fire department arrives. But by this time, there’s too much smoke for the firefighters to find the source of the flames. And it spreadsDuring this time, Pioneer Square is filled with buildings built out of wood by pioneers. It was also filled with a lot of places to drink... and like busy humans, fire really likes alcohol.The fire moves on to the liquor store next door and the nearby Crystal Palace and Opera House Saloons — all of which then explode. It’s not long before the majority of the downtown area is completely up in flames, leaving the Seattle Fire Department to fight a battle it wasn’t quite ready for with its chief out of town and a problematic infrastructure. Those issues and others led to $20 million in damages, 1 million dead rats, and 25 city blocks completely wiped out before a new city would rise from the ashes. |
| MORE TROUBLE |
| EVENTS |
|
Click here to have your event featured.
Friday, Jan. 20
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
|
| 100+ MORE EVENTS |
| SHOP |
| Quality should never be a luxury |
Quince delivers high-quality essentials at affordable prices, directly from the factory to you. | Photo by Quince
|
| You deserve to have nice things. At Quince, you can treat yourself to the finer things in life. We’re talking 100% Mongolian cashmere, washable silk, Italian leather, 14K gold, European linen + more everyday luxuries — always up to 80% less than other brands, always with free shipping + returns for 365 days. Plus, Quince partners with responsible factories around the world and bypasses the traditional retail middlemen, so you can sustainably elevate your life at affordable prices.* |
| SHOP |
| NEWS NOTES |
| Weather
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
|
| ENVIRONMENT |
| Vitamin D incoming |
Our days are currently changing in length by about ~2 minutes everyday. | Photo by @br3nn3nfoto
|
| We’ve got some good news for you, Seattle — we’re only a few days away from 5 p.m. sunsets. It’s definitely a big milestone toward getting out of the Big Dark. But if you keep track of daily sunrise and sunset times, it may really feel like it’s taking awhile — and that’s because it is. While our days change in length by ~3:30 minutes around both equinoxes, our days change by only three seconds on the two solstices. This is due to something called the “geometric effect” — it essentially points out that the rate of change between our day lengths speeds up and slows down based on what angle the Earth’s axis is tilted is at. And Seattle, being at a higher latitude, sees this effect much more than some of our friends closer to the equator. But look on the brightside — that means our days are getting exponentially longer as we speak. ☀️ |
| THE WRAP |
|
Today’s issue was written by Alina.
Editor’s pick: I’ve been dying to write about the Great Seattle Fire since SEAtoday launched in 2021. It just feels like one of those stories where everything that could go wrong, does. It’s a wild ride that makes a good dinner story if you find yourself sitting with history buffs.
Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s how to build your own chicken coop.
|
|
Connect with us.
Editorial: Alina Hunter-Grah, Gabe Guarente, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
Sales: Rachel Sklenar | Advertise with us.
Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.
Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?
|
| SUBSCRIBE |
| You received this email because you are signed up for newsletters from 6AM City. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here. Copyright © 2022 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved. P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602 |