Growing Pains in the Queen City: Seattle’s 1889 School Crisis

The school interests of the city have grown with the city, yet the people have provided sufficiently for the wants of the village, but not for those of the city. The schools outgrew their quarters, and capacious buildings were soon wholly inadequate. Children were crowded into them, and teachers did their best to accommodate them, putting them in garrets and basements, keeping classes in the forenoon and making them give place to other classes in the afternoon. Finally, when every possible thing had been done, and there was no more room, children were refused admission.

In October 1875, the school enrollment included 209 children. By October 1888, there were 1,669—eight times as many children in our public schools in thirteen years. This crisis reached a breaking point in April 1888, when fire destroyed the Central School building, turning 800 children out into the streets. In response, the school directors were authorized by a practically unanimous vote to bond the district to erect new brick structures. Plans are now underway for a magnificent, fireproof Central building on a prominent site, to be topped by a 130-foot tower featuring a city clock for all the populace.