The Policing of Lake Union’s Wild Frontiers
Early Seattleites living near Lake Union demanded a policeman to stop the frequent, dangerous gunfire by 'amateur sportsmen' near their homes.
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.
An item in the Herald of the 18th instant, in reference to the arrest of the local editors of that sheet for shooting at Lake Union, is void of truth. The charge was sustained by the Police Magistrate on account of 'the use of the mark,' says the astute localizer. The truth is, in reference to shooting on and near the head of Lake Union, that it had become so frequent and dangerous that the people residing there became alarmed for the safety of themselves and families, and applied to the Chief of Police for a policeman to be stationed at the lake for their benefit. The 'amateur' policeman was instructed to arrest any and all persons caught shooting inside of the city limits. Among the arrests made at the lake were Sam'l Wright, John Denny (son of D. T. Denny), and the local editor of the Herald. Young Wright was reprimanded by the Court. D. T. Denny was informed by the policeman of the arrest of his son, and promptly remarked, 'That is right; have him fined, and I will pay it; that shooting must be stopped.' It seems that the present limit of shooting in the city limits is bounded by Cedar street on the north, but if the local editor of the Herald thinks that it is safe to do his shooting around Lake Union hereafter, let him try it on after the next meeting of the City Council. The people at the lake intend to have even the shooting by 'amateur' sportsmen stopped around their homes.
“That is right; have him fined, and I will pay it; that shooting must be stopped.”
A century and a half ago, the conflict between residents and 'amateur sportsmen' over gun use in city limits highlights that the struggle to define the boundaries of urban peace in a rapidly expanding Seattle is as old as the city itself.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.