The Bootblack Ban: City Cracks Down on Alley Hustlers
Chief of Police ordered to serve notices to all bootblacks occupying city alleys; merchants and workers clash over public space.
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The chief of police has been notified to serve notice on all bootblacks now having stands in the alleys to vacate at once. Yesterday afternoon Secretary Gibson, of the board of public works, transmitted the text of the resolution passed Saturday to Chief Hill, and all parties who do not vacate will suffer the consequences.
The protest was filed by First Avenue merchants, who alleged that the roadbed is sunken and dangerous to travel. The repairs must be made within ten days.
This 1906 ordinance reveals an early municipal struggle over the right to use public space for informal labor. Today, Seattle continues to grapple with similar tensions between homeless encampments, street vendors, and business districts, highlighting that the conflict over who controls the sidewalk is a persistent civic issue.
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