The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) was organized as an all-volunteer organization in 1876. The City Charter was amended in 1883 to fund equipment, but a paid, professional unit was not organized until after the great fire in 1889. Two years later the Seattle Fire Department Relief Association was founded as a result of the tragic death of Herman Larsen, the first Seattle firefighter killed in the line of duty. Donations were raised to provide Mr. Larsen's family with funds to pay for his funeral expenses, and the firefighters decided to create an organization administered by firefighters to benefit firefighters and their families in the event of death, illness or injury. As of 2018 the organization continues to provide medical and death benefits and for its members.
The image seen here is of a ticket to the annual fund raising ball held by the Seattle Fire Department Relief Association. This particular year the ball was held at the Dreamland Hall on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Union Street in downtown Seattle.
Caption information source: http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv15130
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
