1912 Potlatch Parade

Crowds watching the parade

Horses are wearing drapery that say: TILIKUMS of ELTTEAS and have a picture of: a stylized NW native design. Tilikums means friends in the Chinook jargon. Eltteas is Seattle spelled backwards. This was the insignia of a fraternal organization that dressed up like Native Americans and put on Potlatch parties & parades in the hopes of giving Seattle a signature party that would draw people in much like the Mardi Gras does in New Orleans. The floats are supposed to represent blessings and good things in the area.

Stores and signs in the background that I was able to decipher: "Outfitters for Men Shaper(?) Bros Outfitters for Boys", "Scandinavian American Book & Stationery Store", "Lipton's Tea", "B&G Cafeteria".

1897 was when the Klondike gold rush started. Notice that the date is flanked by
two cornucopias spilling lumps of gold. Seattle was a major staging and outfitting place for the
prospectors and the gold rush basically made Seattle into a city.

These are some of the Potlatch members.

Float about the sale of Alaska to US

"Let us make the treaty tonight" is a quote by William Henry Seward about the purchase of Alaska from Russia. (Seward was the 24th US Secretary of State.) The two shields on the side have the arms of the US and of tsarist Russia. The bust is probably that of Seward.

Alaskan animals: polar bears and walruses

Float about agricultural bounty.

Wagon full of gold

What is written on the float is: Success, Equality, Ability, Truth, Tradtion, Loyalty, Energy, which spells
out Seattle.

Michelin Man motorized float, followed by bicyclists

Miniature of the Russian Orthodox church in Sitka, Alaska.
Note the arms of tsarist Russian on the side of the float.

Stilt walker

P. Anderson
Link Page

History Link Page

Off site links:

History Link on Potlatch of 1912
Golden Potlatches
Flickr page with float picture
Official Invitation
Seattle Times