Sometimes we come across folder titles that cry out for further investigation. When we saw a 1971 file labeled “Haircut Incident” listed in Mayor Uhlman’s records, we couldn’t resist heading to the vault to check it out. The folder turned out to contain records documenting a dispute about whether firefighter… [ Keep reading ]
An exchange of letters saved in the Fire Chief’s General Correspondence series highlights some early trash talk between the chiefs in Tacoma and Seattle. A letter dated July 28, 1933, from Tacoma’s Chief Whitaker to Seattle’s Chief Corning referenced an upcoming baseball game between department staff from the two cities,… [ Keep reading ]
Along with correspondence about Fire Department business, Fire Chief Frank Stetson’s files also include copies of letters to his son Horatio, who was serving in World War I. The younger Stetson had previously been posted in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and at the Mexican border with the Washington… [ Keep reading ]
