Same Streets

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9 stories matching rooftop

  1. The Tinderbox Downtown

    A small chimney fire at a local tin shop narrowly avoids tragedy, sparking a community call to clear flammable debris from Seattle's rooftops.

    May 25, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyDisasters

  2. The Uninvited Guest at the Elks Lodge

    A Ballard woman claims she has mastered the secret rituals of the Elks after spying on their meetings from a rooftop, and now she's demanding membership.

    Jan 27, 1904The Tacoma Times237 Ballard Avenue, Seattle, King CountyLocal Legends

  3. Polly Noble’s Great Escape

    A City Jailer's pet parrot, known for her conversational skills, escaped to the rooftops after being spooked by a neighborhood dog.

    Jun 12, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerYesler Avenue, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

  4. A Near-Fatal Train Wreck Averted by a Rooftop Signal

    A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train on the outskirts of Kennewick results in mass wreckage but miraculous survival.

    Sep 15, 1905The Kennewick CourierKennewick, Benton CountyDisasters

  5. The Great Evergreen: Seattle’s First Snow in Sixteen Years

    Residents gather on rooftops and streets to witness a rare winter spectacle, as snow blankets the city for the first time since 1890.

    May 31, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  6. The Perils of Rooftop Baseball Fans

    When an amateur bleacher made of nailed cleats gave way, two men plummeted twenty-five feet to the sidewalk, triggering a panic among hundreds of spectators clinging to city infrastructure.

    Apr 18, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce County

  7. The Hidden Scourge on the Rooftop

    When a cigar factory worker in Seattle was discovered to be rotting from a mysterious disease, it sparked a local panic over health, labor, and the limits of the city's care.

    Jan 15, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

  8. The Great Moss Panic of 1878

    Seattle's early city council once declared war on rooftop greenery to prevent the city from burning down.

    Jun 22, 1878Puget Sound DispatchColumbia Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

  9. The Wild Foot Race on Commercial Street

    Before the city grew, Seattle’s main thoroughfare hosted a high-stakes sprint that drew crowds to the rooftops and left bettors stunned.

    Aug 8, 1878The Daily IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

Download all 9 as a spreadsheet (CSV)