<p>The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the City. The fire started in a paint and woodwork shop at Front and Madison and swept a southward across 100 acres of Seattle's business district and waterfront. The inferno completely consumed the business district's wooden buildings, and it gutted the newer brick buildings, leaving their walls standing as dramatic ruins.
This image shows the start of the fire taken by spectator A. J. Smith. </p>
<p>Inscription on verso: "The start of the great fire in Seattle June 6/89. It burnt 90 acres of the business heart of the city. I saw it. A. J. Smith"</p>
<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Great Fire, Seattle, Wash., 1889</li></ul>
Smith, A. J.
Taken on 6 June 1889
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/search">Museum of History and Industry</a>