Board of Aldermen
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- Jan 16, 1891The Saloon Turf War: Seattle's 1891 Zoning ScandalA surprise move by the Board of Aldermen to eliminate limits on where liquor could be sold triggers a fierce public outcry against perceived civic corruption.Seattle, WA
- Jan 17, 1891City Hall's Saloon ShowdownA legislative battle over liquor limits and grade taxes highlights the growing pains of a booming Seattle.Terrace Street, Seattle, WA
- Feb 18, 1891The City Council’s Hammock ScandalSeattle’s city fathers clash over the 'reckless extravagance' of buying thirty-four hammocks for the city jail.Seattle, WA
- Mar 17, 1892The City Council's Tug-of-War Over Curb-Side CommerceAn attempt to ban street peddlers in Seattle sparks a fierce debate over monopoly, public markets, and the rights of local farmers.Seattle, WA
- Jun 21, 1892City Hall Debates Municipal PowerA joint committee is appointed to investigate the feasibility of Seattle owning its own electric light plant.Seattle, WA
- Jul 30, 1892City Leaders Halt Expansion of Gas UtilitiesSeattle aldermen unanimously reject new gas franchises, arguing the city has no immediate need for further utility expansion.Seattle, WA
- Feb 27, 1893The Plot to Fire the Engineer Behind Seattle’s Sewer TunnelsDemocratic operatives wanted Reginald H. Thomson’s job for a patronage appointee. Mayor Ronald threatened to make them pay.Seattle, WA
- Jun 3, 1893The Great Northern Depot Tug-of-WarSeattle city leaders clash over the demand for a $200,000 grand terminal as a condition for the railroad's franchise.Seattle, WA
- Aug 13, 1893The Great Seattle 'Slot' DebateA local cable railway company threatens to abandon a major investment after the city council forces an impossible construction standard on their tracks.Madison Street, Seattle, WA
- Oct 13, 1893City Hall Rejects Austerity MeasuresSeattle aldermen block a 15-percent salary cut for city officials despite calls for retrenchment during the economic downturn.Seattle, WA
- Dec 27, 1893The Power Struggle at City HallCouncil debates, dance hall morality, and the influence of John Considine highlight the friction in 1893 Seattle government.City Hall, Seattle, WA
- Aug 17, 1894Streetcar Workers Asked City Hall to Mandate 21 Cents an HourSeattle’s street railway employees accused aldermen of burying their wage petition after a committee report was declared adopted—then reversed under pressure.Seattle, WA
- Sep 6, 1894Seattle Tries to Halve Its Street-Light BillA council debate over arc versus incandescent lamps exposed ward rivalries and a fight over how much control the city should keep over a private lighting contract.Seattle, WA
- Sep 12, 1894The Night Seattle Fought Over Its StreetlightsA special meeting of the Board of Aldermen turns into a tense negotiation with the Union Electric Company over the terms, safeguards and cost of lighting the city.Seattle, WA
- Jan 8, 1895The Mint Saloon Loses Its License—and City Hall Braces for CourtThe council confirmed a new police commissioner, reappointed officials, revoked the Mint Saloon's license over loud legal objections, and set Pike Street on the road to vitrified brick.Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA
- Jan 26, 1895The Real Fight at City Hall Was Never About the Nominee — It Was About the City EngineerA routine appointment to the board of public works turned into a proxy war over R. H. Thomson, whose appointment a year earlier had ended Edwin Hall Warner's brief and bitter tenure as Seattle's city engineer.Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA
- Jan 27, 1895The Alderman Who Wanted the $600 JobLeander Miller led the fight against John G. Scurry’s confirmation to the board of public works—because Miller wanted the seat himself.Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA
- Feb 5, 1895A $100 Bribe and a Lifetime Pass: Seattle's Streetcar Scandal Erupts in the Council ChamberAlderman J. Eugene Jordan accuses Union Trunk Line president K. F. Wittier of trying to buy his silence—then the board turns on itself.Seattle, WA
- Feb 5, 1895Beacon Hill's Streetcar Gap: Children Walk Miles While the Company StallsResidents petition the aldermen to force the Union Trunk Line to run cars to its promised terminus.Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA