The Great Rainout: Seattle’s Masonic Festival Drowned by the Sky
As delegates from across the territory gathered for a grand celebration, an unrelenting downpour forced organizers to cancel races and hope for a dry evening tea.
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.
PORT TOWNSEND, June 14. — The morning does not look auspiciously for the festivities arranged in honor of and for the visiting Masons. It has been raining at intervals all night; the sky is overcast and ominous, and the committee having the ceremony in hand have vainly scanned the horizon for a favorable indication. Although these gentlemen are good church members and ought to know better, their looks were loathsome, which is charitably overlooked by those who hear it because of their great provocation. For weeks prior to the Masonic gathering the weather was all that could be desired, while now, in severe disappointment of the merry time arranged, the unkind elements have denied their most simple garments.
Should the day continue its tempest the races, etc., will be abandoned and the grand tea of the evening be depended on to furnish all the pleasure. Yesterday but devoted entirely to loquacity by the late, the details of which are, of course, only known to the members (officers for the ensuing year) will be elected Friday. Visiting delegates appear to hugely enjoy themselves, notwithstanding the unpropitious weather. Free carriages have been provided by citizens to take the delegates to and from Mason hall or elsewhere, and every other courtesy that can be thought of is being extended to them.
This 1896 account of a rain-soaked civic event in Port Townsend mirrors the perennial struggle of Pacific Northwest communities to host outdoor gatherings against the whims of the weather. It highlights how local infrastructure and community spirit—like providing free carriages and indoor alternatives—have long been essential for maintaining social cohesion during Seattle's rainy season.
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