Golden Potlatch
The Golden Potlatch (or Potlatch Days) was a festival in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1911–1914 and 1935–1941. The name derived from the potlatch, the Chinook Jargon name of a festival ceremony that had been practiced by indigenous peoples of the region; "golden" reflected Seattle's role in the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890s.[1]
First Golden Potlatch, July 17-21, 1911
The first Golden Potlatch took place July 17–21, 1911. Roughly 300,000 people attended parades, concerts, automobile races up Queen Anne Hill, and a flight by an airplane piloted by Navy pilot by Lt. Eugene Ely. There was also a reenactment of the 1897 arrival of the Portland with its legendary "ton of gold". The event was conceived to keep Seattle in the public eye in the wake of the successful and prominent Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition of 1909.[1]
In 1911, Robert A. Reid, Seattle, published a number of Postcards as part of his Pacific Northwest Photographic Series to publicize the Golden Potlatch. These postcards identified Seattle as a destination available by 'sea, land and rail'.
The Hopf Bros Co. of Seattle published another series of postcards by Edward H Mitchell. These postcards focused on scenic views such as Mt Rainier from the West Short of Lake Washington; historic views such as Totem Pole, Pioneer Square; commercial aspects of Seattle including Colman Dock and Grand Trunk Pacific Dock; and downtown street views such as First Avenue looking north, Second Avenue looking south from Spring Street, Second Avenue Looking North, Third Avenue looking north, Fourth Avenue looking south and Pike Street looking East. All of these commercial photo's
Golden Potlatch 1912
Golden Potlatch 1913
The 1913 Potlatch was marred by the "Potlatch Riots". On the first day of the Potlatch some soldiers and sailors were involved in a fistfight when an IWW International Workers of the World speaker supposedly 'insulted their uniforms'[1][2].
A newspaper story the next day further inflamed the situation resulting in soldiers and sailors aided by civilians looting and burning the offices of the IWW and the Socialist Party. A rear admiral in charge of the reserve fleet expressed regret about the outbreak and said he had dispatched a patrol to round up the troublemakers. [3]
On July 19, 1913, Mayor George Cotterill, responding to street riots the previous evening during the Potlatch Days festival, declared an emergency, and assumed direct control of the police, closed saloons, banned street speakers, and attempted to temporarily close down The Seattle Times, which he believed provoked the riots.[4]
Golden Potlatch 1914
The coming of World War I in 1914 marked the end of the Potlatch.
Potlatch 1935 - 1941
The festival was revived in 1935, but was again terminated by war, this time by the U.S. entry into World War II in 1941
Notes
- ^ a b c David Wilma, Seattle holds Golden Potlatch festival beginning on July 17, 1911, HistoryLink, 2001-05-12. Accessed online 2009-05-05.
- ^ Patrick McRoberts, Fistfight kicks off Seattle Potlatch riots on July 17, 1913, HistoryLink, 2000-07-13. Accessed online 2009-08-23.
- ^ Patrick McRoberts, Potlatch rioters sack IWW and Socialist headquarters on July 18, 1913, HistoryLink, 2000-07-13. Accessed online 2009-08-23.
- ^ Patrick McRoberts, Mayor Cotterill declares state of emergency in midst of Potlatch riots on July 19, 1913, HistoryLink, 2000-07-13. Accessed online 2009-08-23.