The Perilous Trip of the Rowboat Runaways
Two young women, undeterred by the dark waters of Tacoma's bay, defied the night to row across the sound, sparking a local search and a breathless newspaper account.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Two young women of Tacoma, one a laundress and the other a former dressmaker, attempted to cross the bay in a rowboat at night. The two had been in Tacoma for some time, but on Thursday, they decided to row across the bay, despite the darkness and the rough waters. When they did not return, their friends became concerned. The bay boat eventually brought them triumphantly back, though they were sent to comfortable quarters at the city jail, for it is said that such things have a way of getting railroaded into the police records.
“Such things have a way of getting railroaded into the police records.”
While framed by the era's judgmental language, this story captures the enduring spirit of independence found in Seattle and Tacoma. The 'railroading' of young women into police custody for non-conformity echoes modern debates about the policing of space and behavior in the city's rapidly changing downtown.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.