Seattle's first newspaper, The Gazette, was founded 161 years ago today
SEATTLE - Seattle’s first newspaper, The Seattle Gazette, was established 161 years ago today, on Dec. 10, 1863.
Now operating online as seattlepi.com, the newspaper evolved through several iterations before becoming the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, widely known as the Seattle P-I.
Keep reading to learn more about Seattle's first newspaper and the history surrounding it.
Seattle’s first newspaper evolved through mergers, rebrands to become a lasting city landmark
According to History Link, The Seattle Gazette was founded by J.R. Watson, but failed after a few years. Under new ownership, it was renamed the Weekly Intelligencer, and was later bought again and shortened to the Intelligencer.
It wasn't until 1881 that the paper merged with the Seattle Post, and the names were combined to create the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
The paper changed hands multiple times until 1921, when it was acquired by the Hearst Corporation, which remains its owner today.
The Seattle P-I globe sits atop the building at 101 Elliott Ave. W. in Seattle, Wash. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking outside, you can still see the Seattle P-I globe near the waterfront, atop the building at 101 Elliott Ave. W. The official Seattle landmark, designed and created from a contest, was installed in 1948.
From barnyard presses to Klondike gold: The Seattle P-I’s storied journey
The paper's journey has gone through its fair share of rough patches, especially in 1889 during the Great Seattle Fire. The Seattle P-I was relocated to purchaser S.J. Hunt's house, publishing the newspaper from his barn without missing an edition. Hunt later sold the paper to Ohio-based investors during the national financial Panic of 1893.
In July 1897, the Seattle P-I reported that gold had been discovered in the Klondike region of northwestern Canada. The P-I's "Klondike Edition" printed 212,000 copies and became the largest newspaper produced west of Chicago.
The Klondike Edition resulted in an economic boom in Seattle, enhancing its reputation as the major trade port to Alaska while also permanently boosting the city's population.
Today, the Seattle P-I operates exclusively as an online newspaper, having transitioned away from print in 2009.
Seattle print publications still going out today include The Seattle Times, The Stranger, Northwest Asian Weekly and Puget Sound Business Journal, among many more.
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