The Mayor's Hat Scandal
Snohomish citizens stage a humorous protest when the Mayor ditches his traditional straw hat for the season.
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.
Mayor Ferguson of Snohomish recently opened the season by donning a new straw hat, to the great disappointment of citizens who regarded his old, historical hat as the true sign of reawakening spring. As he walked up First Street, a crowd gathered at the corner of First and Avenue A and cheered him with mock cadences. A committee of representative citizens formally petitioned the Mayor to bring back the old headgear, suggesting it would save them from many a rainy day. It is understood the Mayor has since made overtures to dispose of his new purchase.
“Whereas, forsooth, in seasons long time past, our never failing weather sign has cast: The old straw hat worn by His Honor's crest—Which now, alack, has vanished from our ken.”
This civic 'scandal' serves as a reminder of the hyper-local humor and performative politics found in early Washington townsite promotion, where public figures were held accountable even for their choice of headwear.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.