JUNE 6, 1889: The southwest corner of First Avenue and Madison Street.
  • Washington State Archives, used with permission
  • JUNE 6, 1889: The southwest corner of First Avenue and Madison Street.

Via the Washington Secretary of State's blog:

June 6 mark[ed] the 125th anniversary of what is known as the Great Seattle Fire. The blaze started at 2:30 p.m. in a paint and woodwork shop at the corner of Front Street and Madison Avenue. Due to a combination of a dry spring, windy afternoon and inadequate water supply, the fire eventually swept across 120 acres of Seattle’s business district and waterfront.

More on how this fire "transformed Seattle from a town to a city" right here.

THE AFTERMATH: West side of First Avenue, between Yesler and Columbia.
  • Washington State Archives, used with permission
  • THE AFTERMATH: West side of First Avenue, between Yesler and Columbia.