The Roller Skating Scandal of 1882
A Seattle roller rink proprietor attempts to clean up his act by barring the 'improper,' as injuries mount among the city’s elite.
It is evident that the manager of the roller skating rink, at Teller's Hall, is endeavoring to cater to the pleasure of the respectable public. The majority of visitors who daily and nightly indulge in this healthful exercise are of the best families of Seattle. Improper characters are strictly excluded; and if any persons intrude whose presence is objectionable to a number of patrons, they are so informed and invited to stay away. Some mishaps, in the shape of bruises and sprains, have occurred, but that is not to be wondered at considering the reckless manner in which some go at it. In order that skaters may get in better practice for the masquerade skating carnival, it has been postponed until Saturday night, May 20th.
“Improper characters are strictly excluded; and if any persons intrude whose presence is objectionable to a number of patrons, they are so informed and invited to stay away.”
In 1882, Seattle's 'respectable' class defined the boundaries of public space through exclusion, a theme that echoes in contemporary debates over gentrification and the policing of public venues. The roller rink served as a Gilded Age microcosm of Seattle’s anxieties about class, propriety, and the unruly nature of modern urban leisure.
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