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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 12 |
| 1893 | 14 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1899 | 5 |
| 1903 | 4 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1918 | 1 |
18 stories matching debri
- Scavenging in the Ashes
While Seattle recovers from the Great Fire of 1889, opportunists sift through the debris of the burned post office in search of mail—and valuables.
- The Great Reconstruction: Seattle Rebuilds from the Ashes
Just weeks after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, hundreds of laborers mobilize to clear debris and reconstruct the city’s vital infrastructure.
- Seattle Rebuilds After Fire, Clearing Ruins and Sheltering Residents
Following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city grapples with the logistics of debris clearance, housing relief, and the return of labor.
- The Bottleneck of Yesler Way
A dangerous, debris-filled junction at Yesler, Front, and Commercial streets creates a daily traffic nightmare for Seattle's commerce.
- The Rebirth of a Burned City
Following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city pivots from disaster to rapid reconstruction, grappling with housing, labor, and the challenge of rebuilding a metropolis from ashes.
- A Miraculous Survival Amid the Ruins
While clearing debris after the Great Seattle Fire, a worker narrowly avoids being crushed when a wagon overturns on the precarious streets of the charred city.
- Seattle Rebuilds After the 1889 Great Fire
A catastrophic blaze levels the city’s business district, triggering a massive relief effort and ushering in new urban planning.
- Seattle’s Rebirth After the Great Fire
While the embers of the 1889 Great Fire were still cooling, the city's architects and business leaders immediately began a frenzied, organized effort to rebuild the commercial district in brick and stone.
- The Deadly Aftermath of the Great Seattle Fire
A workman is crushed by the unstable ruins of the Union Block, sparking a tragedy as crews attempt to clear the debris of the city's recent destruction.
- After the Great Fire of 1889: Rebuilding a City from the Ashes
While Seattle recovers from a devastating conflagration, a citywide debate pits public safety and urban planning against private interests over the future layout of the business district.
- The Great Seattle Fire: Building a City from Ash and Embers
In the immediate aftermath of the devastating 1889 fire that leveled the city’s business district, Seattle residents and property owners rush to clear the smoldering ruins and plan a more substantial, brick-built future.
- Tragedy in Tacoma: The Sudden Collapse of a New Building
A newly constructed building on Tacoma Avenue falls, leaving the community reeling and survivors in critical condition.
- After the Fire, Seattle Rebuilds Its Burnt District
In the weeks following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city scrambled to clear debris and restore order, as business owners set up temporary shops in tents and city officials struggled to enforce new sanitation rules in the 'burnt district.'
- The Day the Wind Took Down Tacoma’s New Buildings
A fierce storm topples a nearly finished commercial building, claiming the life of a prominent contractor and leaving a city in shock.
- The Great Seattle Fire of 1889: Organizing Relief Amidst Chaos
Following the cataclysmic fire that leveled downtown, city officials and volunteer committees scrambled to house the displaced and maintain order in the charred remains of the district.
- Guy Phinney's Brick Building Rises First After Seattle Fire
How Seattle’s downtown business district—scorched by the Great Fire—was transformed by private investment into a modern, fireproof city in just over a year.
- The Garbage Crisis: Seattle’s ‘Primitive’ Streets Demand a Permanent Solution
As the City Council debates the fate of the city's waste, officials warn that makeshift disposal methods are turning neighborhoods into health hazards and driving down property values.
- The Morning After the Fire: Spokane Wakes Up in Tents and Vows to Rebuild
A day after the great conflagration swept the city, Spokane's banks reopen, merchants trade under canvas, and outside capital pours in — even as thousands who were prosperous on Sunday night are left homeless.