Frank Turco Memorial Newsstand

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I heard that this rebuilt newsstand, "Turco's Last Stand," was holding its grand reopening yesterday, Labor Day, as an homage to Frank Turco, the one legged labor activist who opened the original stand 87 years ago on this site at 3rd and Pike. (More photos at More Seattle Stuff.) Turco was head of the Seattle Newsboys Union Local 621 and ran the 24 hour newsstand for 47 years. The current owner has built a new kiosk, thought to be the last newsstand in Seattle. Apparently he has invested in the new sleek structure in the hopes that "if you build it they will come," because as late as last month, he had no vending contract with any major newspapers and his stock for the past few years had consisted mostly of free local weekly and monthly publications along with beverages and snacks. He does carry copies of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights for $5 and his dream is to draw attention to Turco's legacy and Seattle's considerable progressive history and to carry a wide variety of publications for sale, apparently not easy in the day of dwindling newspaper publication. The new stand had already closed for the day when I went by at 4:30 yesterday, but it does look like his dream has started to come true as it appears from signs on the kiosk that The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Seattle Times can all be purchased there now. You can read about the stand, Frank Turco's very full and principled life, his involvement in Seattle's historic general strike, and his run for congress in articles here, here and here . Wishing you only good news this week!