On a bright Fourth of July in 1894, a crowd of 1000, protected under sun bonnets, top hats, and bumbershoots, gathered at the University of Washington's new campus for the cornerstone laying of the site's first structure - Denny Hall.
The celebrants came by wagon, electric trolley, and special excursion train to listen to 13 speeches and a rendering of "The Star Spangled Banner" by Mrs. Fanni Ferguson. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Mrs. Ferguson sang "in such sweet tones and such warmth of feeling as surrounded the patriotic fervor fitting to the day.