C. B. Wright
Named in 28 stories. Back to all names
- Feb 23, 1878The Terminus Bait: How the Northern Pacific Played SeattleIn 1878, Washington residents saw through the railroad's broken promises and the cynical 'town lot' real estate schemes that kept the city waiting for a line.Seattle, WA
- Aug 7, 1883Tacoma's railroad 'patron saint' gets a cannon saluteNew Tacoma serenaded Northern Pacific director C.B. Wright—and the Post-Intelligencer noted that Seattle had not always been his favorite town.Tacoma, WA
- Dec 25, 1883The Fight for Seattle’s Commercial FutureA local merchant defends Seattle against the Northern Pacific Railroad's efforts to favor Tacoma as the terminal city.Seattle, WA
- Apr 13, 1884Railroad Monopoly Targets Seattle’s ProsperityThe Northern Pacific Railroad is accused of prioritizing Tacoma's land values over the economic development of Seattle.Seattle, WA
- May 3, 1884The Fight for the Railroad TerminalA scathing address to Congress exposes how Northern Pacific Railroad insiders manipulated land grants to prioritize Tacoma's development over Seattle's growth.Seattle, WA
- Jun 10, 1884White Wins Pause on Puyallup Coal Road Land PatentsSeattle’s advocate returns from Washington D.C. with updates on the struggle to reclaim Northern Pacific land grants from corporate control.Seattle, WA
- Jan 28, 1886The Gift That Built a School for Seattle’s BoysA $50,000 donation from a Philadelphia philanthropist helped establish Washington College, an institution designed to educate the 'young men and boys' of the territory.Seattle, WA
- May 17, 1887The Price of a 'Sharp Practice'An early Tacoma settler recounts how a handshake deal for a town site—and his trust in corporate promises—cost him a half-million-dollar fortune.Commencement Bay, Tacoma, WA
- Jun 28, 1887The Rivalry That Built the SoundIn 1887, C.B. Wright, a key figure in the development of Tacoma, reflects on the 'nip and go' panic that forced the Northern Pacific terminus to choose between Tacoma and Seattle.Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, WA
- Nov 24, 1887The Political Machine vs. Mr. HumesA fiery struggle over county boundaries reveals a deep-seated battle between Seattle’s citizenry and the powerful railroad political machine.Seattle, WA
- Mar 30, 1892The Political 'Linen-Washing' of 1892In a frantic bid for the labor vote in Tacoma, mayoral candidate Alexander Parker is forced to scrub his reputation of sympathy for the city's persecuted Chinese community.Tacoma, WA
- Feb 6, 1893Suspicion of graft in Tacoma's water plant purchaseDetectives are tailing city council members amid allegations that the municipal purchase of a water and light plant is a massive overpayment benefiting insiders.Tacoma, WA
- Feb 12, 1893The Tacoma Water Plant ScandalA suspected $500,000 kickback scheme involving the city's purchase of a private utility plant ignites a public outcry in Tacoma.Tacoma, WA
- Feb 26, 1893The Pig in a PokeTacoma city officials rush a $1.75 million water works deal through the council despite lacking inventory records or valuation.Tacoma, WA
- Mar 2, 1893Tacoma's $750,000 Railroad Bait—and the Utility Deal That Fell ApartA hastily passed water-and-light purchase ordinance is dead on arrival, while C. B. Wright dangles another railroad in front of Tacoma taxpayers.Tacoma, WA
- Oct 1, 1893The Tacoma Waterworks ScandalCitizens and the City Council expose a massive financial swindle involving a failing water plant purchase.Tacoma, WA
- Nov 10, 1893The Shadow of the LandlordTacoma citizens grapple with the heavy-handed tactics of the Northern Pacific railroad and the Tacoma Land Company.Tacoma, WA
- Nov 12, 1893The Million-Dollar Water HeistA scathing audit reveals that Tacoma taxpayers were bilked out of over a million dollars in a rigged water works acquisition deal.Tacoma, WA
- Nov 16, 1893The Tacoma Water ScandalCity council members push through a controversial water plant deal despite claims of massive overvaluation and a 'worthless' indemnity bond.Tacoma, WA
- Nov 18, 1893Tacoma’s $1,000,000 Water SwindleCitizens demand a grand jury investigation into the alleged theft of public water funds and the shady release of indemnity bonds.Tacoma, WA
- Nov 26, 1893The Million-Dollar Water LootA lucrative deal involving city water bonds sparks outrage over embezzlement and public debt.Tacoma, WA
- Dec 3, 1893The Battle for Tacoma's Gravity WaterA multimillionaire financier demands the city act on bonds, but the controller slams the brakes on the project.Tacoma, WA
- Jan 6, 1894The Water Works BetrayalTacoma citizens feel duped after voting for a massive bond issue to purchase a water plant under the false promise of a new railroad to Mount Rainier.Tacoma, WA
- Feb 12, 1894The City Waterworks ScandalTacoma citizens call out a grand jury for failing to investigate alleged bribery in the million-dollar city waterworks purchase.Tacoma, WA
- Mar 9, 1895The Millionaire Who Wanted His Waterworks BackA California capitalist offers Seattle $16,000 for a sixty-day option on the water and light plants the city bought two years ago — as a damage suit over the deal heads to court.Seattle, WA
- Mar 13, 1895Tacoma Offers to Hand Its Water System Back to the Man It Bought It FromWith springs shut off and a fire engine pumping to keep taps flowing, Tacoma's mayor writes C. B. Wright a remarkable offer: take back the light and water plant.Crystal Springs, Tacoma, WA
- May 26, 1895Tacoma's Council Puts a Waterfront Deal on Hold — and Shuts Down a Fairgrounds SaloonA proposed easement with the Northern Pacific and Tacoma Company waits for papers from Philadelphia, Pacific Avenue owners split over planking, and W.C.T.U. women watch the council reject a liquor license.Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA
- May 30, 1895Tacoma Sealed Its Waterfront Deal With a TelegramThe city council approved a tide-land plat after railroad and land-company officials promised rights-of-way and waterways—over dissenters who wanted more than long-distance assurances.Tacoma, WA