On a warm afternoon in June 1889, a pot of boiling glue spilled over in a carpenter’s shop in downtown Seattle. The fire quickly spread and destroyed 25 blocks in the city center in less than 12 hours. Instead of simply clearing away the ashes and rubble, city leaders saw a chance to fix two major problems. The city often suffered from mud caused by high tides, and many streets were too steep or difficult to use. Officials passed a law requiring all new buildings to be made of brick or stone. City engineers also began a major rebuilding project that eventually buried the original street level deep underground. Now, 137 years after the Great Seattle Fire, visitors to the Pioneer Square Preservation District can still explore the underground remains of old shops, sidewalks and archways. These spaces once formed the ground floors of businesses in Washington state's growing timber and trading port.
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