The Raggedy Ball: Seattle’s First Great Social Scandal
In September 1876, the city’s elite donned rags for a masquerade at Yesler’s Hall, turning social climbing into a contest of who could look the most destitute.
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 preparations are extensive for the rag dance which is to come off this evening at Yesler's Hall, and it promises to be a huge success. A beautiful gold ring has been and is now on exhibition at W. G. Jamieson's jewelry store. It will be given as a prize to the lady who makes the most appearances at the ball. A prize is also to be awarded to the gentleman in whose raiment is considered the most ragged.
A large attendance is expected, and excellent music has been engaged and every effort will be made to make the affair a pleasant one.
The Rag Dance — A beautiful gold ring will be the prize for the raggedest lady at the rag dance of to-night. The gentleman's prize we are not yet at liberty to name. Persons coming masked will be obliged to raise their masks at the door.
While today’s masquerades often focus on horror or fantasy, this 1876 'rag dance' highlights a peculiar Victorian social ritual where status was performed through the aesthetic of poverty. It serves as an early example of Seattle's vibrant, albeit exclusive, social scene centered around James Yesler’s Hall, a hub that would later become central to the city's political and commercial life.
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