The Man Who Hated the Number 13
A Seattle resident petitions city commissioners to change his house number because he believes the digit brings bad luck to his family.
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.
THE 13 SUPERSTITION 4 Man in Washington Wants His Number Changed.
WASHINGTON, April 18.—The district commissioners have just decided to deny a request from the '13 superstitious.' The petitioner is Henry J. Gillroy, of 11th Street, N.W. He wrote to the commissioners that in his opinion the houses on his block were not properly numbered, he said, and that if they were there would be a chance in that of his own house. 'I have escaped 2407 11 street for twenty years,' he wrote, 'but have recently moved into 2113. I will not own that I object to 13, but I guess I am mortal, and as 2706 in 11 street confessed and my family have had sorrow because of it.' So I will take it as a favor if you can attend to this at an early date.
Mr. Gillroy is on the board with the department. 'I'd like to eliminate the number 13 from his business address,' he said. It will be noted that the numbers of his former address, 2407, add up to 18, while his present number is 1113 (summing to 6). Commissioners tell us they have acted favorably on a previous case of a similar character, this matter is carefully referred to them for such action as they may propose.
But Messrs. Wright and Ross refused in his name by either reply or excuse. The reference Mr. Gillroy made to the commissioners said it was radically different from Mr. Gillroy's case and could not be used as a precedent. Mr. Gillroy continued, moved violently into 11th street, one in accordance with the 'superstition.' Messrs. Mack made his number fit in Mr. Wright's calculation were injured by Mr. Ross, and the 13 superstition still lacks official recognition.
In an era before zoning codes standardized address numbering, Seattle residents had to petition city officials for basic changes to their property identifiers. While Gillroy’s request was rooted in folklore rather than finance, it highlights a time when local government was accessible enough to entertain whimsical petitions—a stark contrast to the rigid bureaucratic systems of today.
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