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Seattle Fire Marshal Subject Files, 1951-1993

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
Title
Seattle Fire Marshal Subject Files
Dates
1951-1993 (inclusive)
1964-1979 (bulk)
Quantity
3.4 cubic feet, (9 boxes)
Collection Number
2810-08
Summary
Records from the Office of the Fire Marshal.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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Historical Note

A Fire Department was established by City Charter in 1883. It provided for equipment purchases, but not for hiring of firefighters. Following the Great Fire of 1889, a professional fire department was created with five district fire stations and purchase of a fire boat. The first Fire Chief of the professional department was Gardner Kellogg who served 1890-1892 and 1895-1901. A Board of Fire Commissioners was established by the 1890 City Charter to prescribe rules and regulations for the Department. The Board's responsibilities included enforcing rules violations, and appointing the Fire Chief and all subordinate officers. The Board was abolished with passage of a new City Charter in 1896. The position of Fire Marshal was established in 1901 with responsibility for inspecting buildings to insure they were in compliance the ordinances related to building construction and fire protection. The Fire Marshal also inspects all fires and reports on the causes. The Department's mission is to curtail loss of life and property by fire through inspection and certification of building safety systems, public education, regulation of hazardous material storage, and fire suppression.

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Content Description

Records relating to the office of the Fire Marshal including information on diverse topics such as building inspections, Seattle's 1974 comprehensive policy plan, urban renewal, false fire alarms and fire incident summaries throughout the mid 1960s. Of particular interest are the files on the Central Area community during the late 1960s. These records document civil disturbances, racial tensions and groups such as the Black Panthers, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Seattle Rumor Center. Also of interest are records pertaining to the planning of the King County Domed Stadium (the Kingdome) and earthquake damage reports/assessments related to the April 29, 1965, earthquake.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Fire Marshal Subject Files, Record Series 2810-08. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

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Subject Terms

  • Building inspection--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Central District (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Civil rights movements--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Earthquake damage --Washington (State)--Seattle
  • False alarms--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire prevention--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Kingdome (Seattle, Wash.)

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Marshal

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.).

Finding aid prepared by Linnet Blumenthal
2010

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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