The Price of Progress: Arson in the Shadow of the Opera House
When an old commercial building was moved to make way for Seattle's new Opera House, a firebug turned the vacated structure into a torch.
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.
One of the old buildings which was moved back from Commercial Street to make room for the opera house was set on fire soon after dark by some hoodlum. It was so far from other buildings, fortunately, that no other loss resulted from its destruction. The little house was one of the first business buildings put upon Commercial Street, many years ago, the lumber having been among the first sawed by Yesler's little steam mill that stood on the site where Kelly & Young's drug store is located. When burned, it was unoccupied and half full of straw.
“The little house was one of the first business buildings put upon Commercial Street, many years ago, the lumber having been among the first sawed by Yesler's little steam mill.”
This 1880 arson incident highlights the 'move or demolish' cycle that defined early Seattle’s rapid development. As the city pivoted toward a more permanent, brick-and-mortar identity—marked here by the construction of an Opera House—remnants of the 'sawdust city' were literally pushed aside, becoming temporary targets for neighborhood disorder.
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