Everett’s Baptism by Fire
After major conflagrations reveal a pathetic water supply, local labor leaders demand a municipal water system.
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.
At and during the various conflagrations Monday, August 2nd, it was conclusively apparent that the water supply of the City of Everett for fire fighting purposes was inadequate. At divers times in the past and present, corporations furnishing the city with water have promised to enlarge our water system sufficiently for present and future needs, but this promise has not been kept. It is our belief that said corporation is not sincere in its promises, and that the major portion of the burnable property of the City of Everett is in constant danger of being destroyed. Therefore, the Everett Trades Council resolves that the City of Everett should construct, operate, and maintain a municipal water system and that proper city officials should immediately take steps looking to said end.
“It appears that every city must have its baptism by fire before it awakens to the necessity of adequate fire protection.”
Everett’s early growth was marked by catastrophic fires that tested the town's resolve. The 1909 demand for municipal water control echoes today’s ongoing local debates about who owns and manages essential public utilities versus private interests.
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