The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-06
EAST SIDE OF FRONT STREET.
Tumble-Down Shacks Mingled With
Brick Blocks-Memorabio Scenes.

EAST SIDE OF FRONT STREET.
Tumble-Down shacks Mingled with
Brick BIocks-Memorable Scenes.
On the east side of Front street, on the
south corner of Madison street, opposite
the starting point of the fire, was one
story frame store, owned by Schwabacher
Bros. & Co. and occupied by Boardman &
Son, the lot being now occupied by the
one-srory brick used by Schwabacher
Bros. & Co. as q temporary store while
their new four-story building on Yesler
avenue and Commercial street was in
course of erection. It's neighbor was
little one-story red frame residence be-
longing to A. A. Denny. 1t was the first
frame building erected in Seattle and was
for many years occupied by Mr.. Denny.
At the time of the fire it was rented as
fruit store. Then came two or three more
small wooden buildings and then Frye's
opera-house, a three-story brick, and one of
the handsomest buildings the city then
boosted. On the ground floor were La
tour 81 Co. and several other stores, and
Drs. Minor and Dawson were among its
tenants.
Crossing Marion street, q two story brick
building stood, which had been recently
bought by Harms e. Dickman from L.
Reinig and had frame structure in the
rear. Another two story brick occupied
by Lobe d. Co. adioined it. and then came
row OF small ones and two story wooden
buildings owned by A. A. Smith and J. ].
OConnor. After the fire G. G. Phinney
bought one lot, leased the other and put a
two-story brick on them. On the corner
of Columbia, now occupied by the three
story Roxwell building, stood three
story brick owned by Samuel Kenny.
Among his tenants were Burke d Halter.
On the southeast corner of Columbia
street were two two-story wooden build
ings belonging to NJ. & K. Gottstein, who
have replaced them with a four-story
brick Next came one and two-story
wooden building owned by John Sullivan,
in which were the stores of Mrs. NJ. ID.
Pease, G. G. White and w. r. Gallagher,
the site being occupied by the handsome
four-story brick and stone block of Mr..
Sullivan. After these came two-story
frame of Campbell g. Atkinson. and one
drug store, and on the corner was a ram
shackle one-story frame, owned by Chris
Scheuerman and occupied by Rice s. Gard
the great fire this butcher shop was in
flames in broad daylight, and Josiah Col
Inns, chief of the volunteer fire department,
was called from his office across Cherry
street to put it out. He donned his uni
form, as necessary adjunct to fire-extin-
gushing, ran across and climbed to the
roof, through which he chopped a hole,
while the crowd expressed the hope that
the building might burn, in order that 1t
might be replaced by decent brick struc-
ture. Mr.. Collins threw the ak down hur-
riedly, and it fell on boys head, knock
ing him down but not seriously injuring
him.
On the south side Of Cherry street,
where now stand the one-story brick,
which was occupied for several months
after the fire by the PosT-INTELLIGESoER
and the Puget Sound National bank, and
the two-story brick store of Lowman &
Hanford, was Yesler's old hall, long,
narrow one-story structure, with history.
Many years ago, when the people were
preparing for grand Fourth of July cele-
bration, they feared rain and desired to
hold the ceremonies under cover. Mr..
Yesler agreed to furnish the timber if the
public would provide the labor. Accord
ingly fund was raised by subscription
and rough board structure was run up in
few days. 1t was afterwards patched up
and made more presentable and made into
sort of theater, with a stage at the rear
end four or five feet high and back en-
trance on the alley. The lot had not then
been graded and stood some height above
the street, and several PERSONS at different
times excavated under the old hall and
built stores under it, thus converting the
building into a two-story structure. In
this way a coffee-house was built on the
corner by partnership composed of q
Negro and Chinaman, and a cigar
store adjoined their place. The hall
itself was patched up again and
used by Lowman & Hanford as a book
store. Where the neat three-story
fremont building stands was n two
story frame, on the second floor of which
was the Masonic hail, while several stores
occupied the ground floor, Next to this
came row of old tumble-down frame
structures, which Mr.. Yesler had moved
from other sites where he, or others to
whom he had sold, erected modern build
ings. The ground where the palatial Pr
oneer block now stands was just being
cleared for its erection when fire swept it
clean, and Mr.. Yesler's old residence had
just been moved around from the corner
to the alley between James and Cherry
streets In front of this residence. on
James street. stood FIVE old maple trees.
which will also live in history