The Bankruptcy Fire Sale of 1891
A failed clothing enterprise on the corner of 2nd and Washington puts its remaining stock under the gavel as the assignee clears the shelves.
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.
Great closing sale of clothing, boots, hats, etc., at the corner of South Second and Washington streets. I must positively close by Saturday evening, February 28. I must dispose of the remaining stock by that date, and intending purchasers will secure unprecedented bargains by calling on me. Your last chance, don't miss it. Mark Wilzinski, Assignee.
“I must dispose of the remaining stock by that date, and intending purchasers will secure unprecedented bargains by calling on me.”
This advertisement captures the volatile nature of Seattle's rapid 1890s expansion, where storefronts cycled through ownership with dizzying speed. Today, the corner of 2nd Avenue and Washington Street sits in the heart of Pioneer Square, a district that continues to balance the tension between historic preservation and the constant churn of retail displacement.
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