The Fourth of July That Wasn't: Seattle's Flooded Festival
As the city prepares for its biggest celebration in decades, a relentless Pacific Northwest downpour threatens to wash away the fun—and the crops.
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 weather has been unfavorable for all following crops in the wheat, oats, and barley regions of the upper country. The heavy rains with harvesting are now approaching. It is reported that the rains have been very beneficial to growing crops.
However, the situation is different in Oregon. In the Willamette Valley, especially, very serious damage has resulted. Whole fields of grain have literally rotted from excessive moisture, and if the rain should be followed by few hot days the country will suffer something like a wholesale failure of crops.
For the credit of Seattle, if for no other reason, there should be no unusual charge for necessaries during the coming celebration. Hotels, restaurants, bars, etc., should provide the usual supplies or services at the usual rates. Seattle is now a metropolitan city and it cannot afford to play the game common in small towns during popular occasions. Instances of overcharge, if such shall occur, will be reported to the committee of arrangement.
The Fourth of July celebration promises to be an eventful affair. The tournament of the Northwest will take place on Third street between Pike and University streets, where a splendid track has been made. Large crowds gather every evening in the vicinity of the track to see the boys exercise. Visiting firemen from Tacoma, Vancouver, B.C., and Victoria have arrived and will make their headquarters in Brown's pavilion on Second Avenue.
The parade line of march will be from the Arlington Hotel down Pike Street to Front, along Front to Union, up Union to Seventh, and counter-march to Third, on Third to University street. Ad thence to the University Grove.
In 1894, Seattle was still asserting its status as a 'metropolitan city' by policing prices during major events—a precursor to modern anti-price-gouging laws and the ongoing tension between tourism revenue and resident affordability. The article also highlights the region's perennial battle with weather: just as farmers feared crop rot then, modern Seattleites face similar anxieties about climate-driven flooding and agricultural instability.
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