On December 31, 1873, coal gas is used for the first time to light Seattle streets, homes, and businesses. Charles E. Burrows was awarded the franchise on June 6, 1873, and built a coal gas plant in the (present-day) Pioneer Square area.
Sources:
Myra L. Phelps, Public Works in Seattle: A Narrative History; The Engineering Department, 1875-1975 (Seattle: Seattle Engineering Department, 1978), 148.
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