January 11 – January 20, 1885
The Sunday Saloon War: When Seattle’s Business Elite Fought for the Right to Rest
1885 Seattle reports conflict on Sunday saloon-closing dates and details.
3 reports in Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer, January 11 – January 20, 1885.
The story
In January 1885, Seattle newspapers reported a civic fight over Sunday saloon closing laws, with the liquor trade opposing reformers and, in one account, laborers described as weary. One report says the City Council debated a “law and order” ordinance to force saloons closed on Sundays; a later report, dated Jan. 20, refers instead to a new 1886 ordinance imposing strict licensing, background checks and Sunday bans. The reports are thin and do not agree on the ordinance’s date or details.
Told from the 3 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 3
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Sunday Saloon War: When Seattle’s Business Elite Fought for the Right to Rest
In January 1885, a heated civic battle erupted over the enforcement of Sunday closing laws, pitting the city’s liquor trade against a coalition of reformers and weary laborers.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Sunday Saloon Wars: How Seattle Debated the 'Law and Order' Ordinance
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council erupted into a fierce debate over a proposal to force saloons to close on Sundays, pitting reformers against tavern owners in a struggle over civic control and personal liberty.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Struggle for Local Control Over Seattle's Saloons
A new 1886 ordinance tightened the grip of the City Council on the city’s liquor trade, imposing strict licensing, background checks, and Sunday bans in an attempt to regulate the chaos of the frontier economy.
From the pages
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jan 11, 1885
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jan 17, 1885
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Jan 20, 1885
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.