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While Yakima celebrated the Fourth of July, a neighbor city fell to a devastating, likely incendiary blaze.
“The water supply was totally inadequate and so great was the heat that the little water that was to be had scarcely neared the flames before it went up in steam.”
A devastating blaze in 1889 consumed fourteen blocks of the young city's business district, leaving merchants and residents in ruins.
“Fanned by a brisk west wind, it rapidly destroyed the whole of Ellensburg.”
A devastating fire leaves 12 city blocks in ruins, highlighting the catastrophic failure of the local water system.
“The water supply was totally inadequate and another was turned on from the hydrants, only to prove the city waterworks were useless in an emergency and could not be depended on.”
After a devastating fire leaves Ellensburgh in ruins, North Yakima reflects on the fragile nature of boomtown prosperity.
“A splendid little city was built—a city in advance of the business support that could be given by the Kittitas valley.”
After a coerced marriage and a secret divorce, a local real estate dealer’s legal nightmare ends in a mysterious chase across the state.
“The sheriff journeyed to the Sound and Victoria, following a false clue, but Mrs. Lapointe had been sent by private conveyance to North Yakima.”
When King County Democrats elected a Black delegate to their state convention, Southern-leaning party members staged a revolt to avoid sitting with him.
Two notorious robbers jailed in Ellensburg staged a daring jailbreak, shot a local boy, and held a family hostage during a chaotic afternoon standoff.
“He said he could have shot the heads off five or six of the pursuers, but did not want to make a bad matter worse.”
Unemployed men, part of the Coxeyite movement, use cunning, boxcars, and mountain trails to make their way toward Washington D.C.
“Jumbo shipped some supplies from Puyallup last week and his admirers say he juggled with the box cars until he succeeded in shipping Commonwealers as commissary supplies.”
Unemployed men, dubbed 'Coxeyites' or 'Industrial Soldiers,' seize freight trains and defy officials in a desperate push toward Washington D.C.
“He was talking to empty stomachs and the minds of his men were evidently dwelling on the hot dinner that was being prepared for them.”
Striking laborers barred from Northern Pacific trains walk over the mountains to Cle Elum, leaving the rail yards in a state of uneasy tension.
“His followers are much more enthusiastic than church members over pastors.”
A boat carrying members of the Coxeyite protest movement capsized in the Yakima River, resulting in four deaths and a harrowing nine-hour rescue.
“They were on the log about nine hours, in water cold as ice. They suffered severely. This thoroughly weaned them from the idea of going by boat down the Yakima river.”
After a devastating fire consumed the heart of the city in July 1889, the community transformed from a charred wasteland into a brick-fronted city in just two months.
“The fire of July 4 wasted the town. Nearly every business house was swept away. The heart of the city was left a bed of embers... but in these two months a city has been built.”
A landmark court decision in Kittitas County clarifies the complex laws of water appropriation for arid Washington lands.
“The soil of West Kittitas is so arid that the riparian doctrine never took root in it.”
A multi-million dollar canal project is set to transform thousands of acres of sagebrush into fertile farmland, signaling an era of prosperity for Kittitas Valley.
“Irrigation is king, and his majesty will be found doing business in Kittitas, the gem valley of Eastern Washington, for all time to come.”
A convicted prisoner attempts to escape his guards while being transported to the state penitentiary, triggering a tense standoff on a moving train.
“He told the men that he would shoot, and he evidently meant it, as the prisoners took their hands out of the sleeper’s pockets, but refused to sit down.”
A town's feverish dreams of gold were shattered when a slick assayer fled with their hopes and their money.
“The country was on fire. Glowing reports were telegraphed in all directions, and people eager to get wealthy in a day or two rolled in.”
A mob of 'whitecaps' forced an officer to surrender his prisoner, a Chinese man accused of harassment, for a public whipping.
After a circus performer died in Ellensburg, local authorities and doctors went to gruesome lengths to extract profit from his corpse.
“It occurred to the authorities that the body of the dead man had not been searched for personal effects. This oversight was remedied, and a search brought to light a revolver, $10 in money and a gold watch and chain.”
Impoverished marchers, known as Coxeyites, are forced to continue their trek to Spokane on foot after local resistance and railway crackdowns.
“The people are disgusted and tired of them, and any more that may come in will probably be treated as vags and not allowed to feast at the expense of the citizens.”
After months of political stalemate, kidnapping threats, and accusations of illegal voting, the founder of Ellensburg is finally ousted from the mayor's office.
“Kidnapping was suggested, and might have been carried out had it not been that the rumor gained circulation that Councilman Frank Boasong was not a citizen.”
A popular Ellensburg eatery signals its alignment with the era's exclusionary labor policies through a public advertisement.
“No Chinese Employed.”
While Washington settlers braced for potential conflict with Chief Moses in 1878, a local merchant argued the indigenous leader was being provoked by a political usurper, not a desire for war.
“All he wants is to be let alone and allowed to remain where he is.”
Delegates gathered in Ellensburg in 1889 to demand admission into the Union, arguing that the territory had matured into a self-sustaining, prosperous commonwealth.
“Washington Territory is the home of families, not adventurers; of home-builders, not transients.”
Newly discovered reports reveal how the Northern Pacific railroad company used its immense corporate power to extort land from settlers and small-town business owners in Kittitas County.
“Can it be wondered at that the people are sick of a company that uses its power in such a shameful, injurious way?”
A town celebrates the completion of the railroad track as the local mood turns jubilant.
“The bells were brought out, and the drums were unheaded to give expression to the joy that was felt by the entire populace.”
John Pinnell, the former proprietor of a notorious 'squaw-dancing' saloon in the city's early days, has died in Ellensburg.
“For years he and a certain reverend divine used to join forces, and for years dictated the policy of the city and county government.”
A fugitive who thought he had outrun his past is finally captured for an 1871 shooting in Los Angeles.
“Since that time Detective Russell has been hunting for his man, and finally located him in Ellensburg, where he had been arrested for assault.”
Freight trainmen walk off the job in Ellensburg over safety concerns and bond requirements, sparking a tense standoff.
“Ellensburgh is the hot-bed of the dissension, and when an attempt was made to run a train through that town Tuesday the striking trainmen flagged the engine two miles beyond the station.”
Richard 'Boosy' Anderson faces execution for the murder of Charles Fox following a dispute over a dice game in a Roslyn saloon.
“Ellensburgh is to have its first legal hanging bee on the 23d of May.”
A massive engineering feat to bring water to 15,000 acres, bankrolled by local Ellensburg businessmen.
“The canal when completed will cover a section of the finest land in this country, comprising about 15,000 acres.”
A devastating fire and the tightening of the money market force the largest mercantile house in Central Washington into a complex legal assignment.
“It will be a case that has never been fully tested in the courts of this state, and promises to attract much attention.”
A courtroom dispute between two prominent local Democrats spilled into the street, ending in gunfire and an arrest.
“the bullet went through the sidewalk about half way between the two.”
A major cattle rustling operation is dismantled after detective work leads to hidden hides in Ellensburg.
“It is alleged by stock raisers who claim to know that hundreds of cattle have been run off the range in this county and taken to Kittitas for sale.”
As Seattle grew, settlers in the Kittitas Valley argued that their future prosperity—and the survival of their farms—depended entirely on carving a road through the Cascade Mountains.
“We have an opportunity and a sufficient number of inhabitants to justify the immediate action of the whole to go at once and place the road in a good condition to the summit of the Snoqualmie Pass.”
While town officials and speculators fought over iron mines and irrigation bonds, the local gambling houses waged a literal turf war.
“War having been declared between the gambling houses, they now take turns in having each other raided and fined.”
Kittitas County citizens demand the federal government forfeit Northern Pacific railroad land grants, accusing the monopoly of stifling settlement and hoarding millions of acres of land.
“Resolved, That these lands belong, and of right ought to belong, to the people, and that we most emphatically condemn the policy of Congress in taking away the poor man's heritage and giving it to stock gamblers and railroad sharks.”
A sensational legal case involving a landlady’s accusations concludes with a discharge, highlighting the era's narrow legal definitions of victimhood.
“The law in the case of rape is that the woman must resist with all her power and make an outcry.”
A tragic mystery unfolds in Ellensburg as a newborn's remains are found in a discarded valise.
“The child had lived long enough after birth to fill its lungs with air; that death was caused mainly by a blow on the forehead.”
A legal warrant for a pre-fire assault is discovered in the brush, long after the records and the town itself were consumed by the blaze.
“The office of the said J. P., or what was left of it, was tied up in a sheet and deposited, with divers other articles, in the brush near the junction of Water and Third streets.”
A railroad company, a local politician, and a handful of property owners cut a deal to secure the future of a new town in the Kittitas Valley.
“The party... started out to examine the surroundings of Ellensburg. On their return they expressed the opinion that the location was all that could be desired.”
A new generation of Democrats assembles to nominate a state ticket for the soon-to-be state of Washington.
“The convention was composed of a fine looking body of men and it was a notable characteristic that it was largely dominated by young men.”
A charge that hung fire exploded as workers returned to the rock, killing four men and fatally injuring foreman Walker in one of the season’s worst construction accidents.
“When the blast went off, the cry was 'Fire or double and run!' The men were not in time.”
In July 1905, just days after a chaotic manhunt in Ellensburg, local residents weighed in on the ethics of Sheriff Thomas shooting an escaped convict. One guard called it 'right,' while others questioned the necessity—echoing modern debates over police accountability.
A newly married rancher takes his own life in a hotel room, sparking a mystery as his wife remains in a state of shock.
“The wife is distracted with grief, and an inquest will be held tomorrow.”
As Washington Territory prepared for statehood, a fierce political battle erupted over how the Mills Tariff Bill would impact local timber, coal, and iron industries.
“The people of Washington are alive to their own interests. They will reject the Mills bill and all that it implies, as they did when they elected John B. Allen to Congress.”
Three territorial prisoners pull off a daring escape from the Ellensburg jail, triggering a county-wide manhunt.
“They cut the hinges at the door of the prison, scaled a 15-foot fence, and have not since been heard of.”
A boarder in Ellensburg vanishes on the morning train, leaving behind a spouse in poverty and a wake of unpaid debts.
“Before taking his departure he borrowed $50 from Isaac Carson, who is now engaged in vigorously kicking himself to death in the yard back of the Johnson House.”
Before high-tech de-icing, railroad crews in the Cascade Mountains spent months shoveling snow by hand just to keep the tracks from vanishing into the mud.
“I have seen them try to lay track under such conditions upon the mud, and often the rail and the ties have sunk down out of sight—buried in the mud.”
A detailed dispatch from Kittitas County outlines the rapid transformation of the wilderness into a grain-producing powerhouse and the desperate need for rail infrastructure.
“A few years ago it was believed, even here, that we could raise nothing but beef, mutton and horses, and that we would have to send to Portland for our white beans.”
A bitter, humorous local feud between North Yakima and Ellensburg reveals the lengths to which frontier boosters went to lure railroads and settlers with 'imaginary' geography.
“The Ellensburg real estate man has drawn those roads into Ellensburg on the map; as he has drawn so the money flies into his net, to gain his private ends.”
An explosive exchange between democratic rivals during the state convention reveals the messy, money-fueled nature of territorial politics.
“Finally Elmore got up, and there was blood in his eye. 'I hear nothing but Griffitts, Griffitts,' he said, 'and now I want to know who in hell is this man Griffitts?'”
A local judge divides the assets and custody of the Sinclair family, marking a significant separation of property and children.
“The brick building and business on First street... is awarded to Mr. Sinclair.”
An Indian prisoner and a grand larceny suspect escaped through a sawed window, while a murder suspect was left behind.
“From statements of the prisoners, ex-officials of the county are implicated in the jail delivery to the extent of furnishing the tools.”
A local judge punishes a witness for skipping trial and uncovers a plot to buy off justice, leading to charges of perjury.
“He believes that the dignity of the court should be maintained and that there should be no tinkering with the wheels of justice.”
A researcher discovers remarkably rich aluminum clay near Ellensburg, potentially transforming the region's industrial future.
“The ore, or clay, which Briggs has found here averages from 30 to 50 per cent and is the richest ever found west of the Rocky mountains.”
Two armed strangers cornered a clerk in S. Bliesner’s dry goods store, but his cries brought a crowd and the robbers vanished into it.
“Fire, murder, thieves!”
J. W. Wells proposes a ditch across the east end of the Kittitas valley at $1 to $1.25 an acre a year. At the mass meeting only 6,500 acres sign on, and the deal is left to W. H. Peterson to sell.
“The proposition was made at a mass meeting, but the farmers were slow to sign; the representative of only 6,500 acres signed the agreement.”
Town residents are fouling the local water supply by dumping horse carcasses near the public school.
“It is presumably some one training dogs for Alaska, and they take this means of disposing of the refuse.”
Before Washington was a state, its residents organized informal, spirited conventions to demand entry into the Union.
“Never was such a convention more spontaneous in its nature. The movement was in every sense a popular one.”
A local hod-carrier's attempt to force a fight in a street theater left him mortally wounded and sparked a desperate struggle for justice in a booming frontier town.
“The trouble occurred in a street theater, and was started by Slater, who is something of a pugilist, challenging Harris to fight.”
A young painter ends his life following financial ruin and personal turmoil.
“He had been drinking and gambling, and losses at the table, together with some family trouble, are believed to be the cause.”
A mysterious blaze gutted E. K. Fugarty's mercantile store, destroying one of Central Washington's finest stocks and leaving a heavy, still-uncalculated loss.
“The origin of the fire is a mystery, but it is believed that it was due to spontaneous combustion.”
A woman allegedly defrauded five Ellensburg businesses using stolen identities before vanishing.
“Sheriff Thomas learned that the woman had left this city, and at once started in pursuit of her and wired several towns.”
A forger calling herself Myra F. Parker worked Ellensburg shopkeepers with small purchases and big checks, then vanished into a Northwest-wide manhunt.
“The paper looked all right. So did the woman, and so did the little girl. But the paper at least was worthless.”
The Northern Pacific Railroad moves to cut costs and tighten its grip on the Inland Empire wheat trade with a massive new tunnel project.
“The two improvements, it is claimed, would greatly reduce the cost of hauling freight from the Inland Empire to the coast.”
As a prominent Kittitas County senator falls gravely ill, the region reflects on his long career in territorial and state politics.
“'Dad' Sharpy, as he is affectionately known by his acquaintances, is one of the best known figures in Washington politics.”
While history remembers Frances Willard, an Ellensburg resident claims she laid the groundwork for the national temperance movement.
“The founder of the W. C. T. U. resides in this city.”
An editorial argument against the political corruption inherent in the state printer's office.
“The state should either own and operate the plant or abolish the office and let the work out to the lowest bidder.”
An Ellensburg editor demands the state stop overpaying for printing contracts, arguing that local newspapers are being squeezed out of business.
“Very few men were ever elected to office in counties outside of the cities who ever appreciated the assistance rendered by the press let alone paying anything.”
A railroad pioneer and former large-scale rancher who helped shape Ellensburg's early development passes away in Okanogan County.
“At one time Mr. Bull was the largest land owner in the county and the famous Bull ranch near town will for many years to come keep his name fresh in the minds of the people.”
A violent confrontation between former lawman Felix Shaser and William Lee leaves the victim near death, adding to a string of criminal cases in Kittitas County.
“Ellensburg has been unfortunate in criminal matters, her courts having been deluged with serious cases.”
A local editor denounces a Superior Court judge for granting citizenship to dozens of foreigners who could not speak English.
“No man who, after five years' residence in this country, cannot speak the language of the country is fit to become an American citizen.”
Accused men maintain their innocence as their attorney accuses authorities of seeking rewards rather than justice.
“The only reason that these men were arrested was in order that Sullivan and his henchmen might get their hands upon the rich rewards that were offered.”
Vancouver editor G. E. Beeson converted his bicycle into a rail velocipede to cross the strike zone—and found Ellensburg packed with troops, passengers, and dwindling sugar.
“The velocipede, he says, is very speedy, having made as high as twenty-three miles in one hour, and 110 miles in one day with ease.”
Kittitas Valley settlers bought stock in the Seattle and Walla Walla Wagon Road with labor and supplies as crews pushed toward Priest Rapids and the mountain passes.
“Those who cannot conveniently pay cash are paying in labor, grain, flour, bacon and other supplies.”
A letter from Ellensburg argues that the county's voters rejected repudiation and urges Eastern lenders not to confuse populism with default.
“The very term Populist is synonymous with repudiator.”
Ellensburg’s attempt to challenge Spokane for the lucrative Okanogan mining trade is dismissed as a fool’s errand by regional competitors.
“The effort of Ellensburg merchants to compete with the merchants of Spokane Falls for the trade of the Okanogan country will henceforth be an up-hill undertaking.”
A violent confrontation involving knives and pistols leaves one man hospitalized and his opponents marked by his resistance.
“Knives were used freely and pistols drawn but the latter cut an unimportant part in the row.”
J. M. Snow breaks his leg after jumping from a runaway stage on a dangerous mountain road.
“The brake gave way at one of the precipitous places in the road, Mr. Snow jumped to save worse results.”
In Ellensburg, a fight over a supreme court nomination turned a Populist primary into a brief, violent farce—and threatened to split the party before the fall election.
“Green weighs 240 pounds, while Stone weighs only 88.”
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