Eugene Semple
Named in 20 stories. Back to all names
- Apr 24, 1887The Governor’s Sudden ExitAfter maintaining order during the 1885 anti-Chinese riots, Washington’s Republican Governor Watson C. Squire is ousted by a Democratic administration, leaving a polarized territory behind.Old Capitol Building, Olympia, WA
- May 2, 1887The False Alarm That Almost Set Seattle AfireWhen an unfounded panic about an anti-Chinese uprising brought the Governor and the state militia to Seattle, a tense city collectively breathed a sigh of relief.Seattle, WA
- Jun 21, 1888The Ill-Fated Divorce of Whatcom CountyA couple of thirty years' standing attempted a DIY divorce through a notary, only to find themselves inadvertently back in the bonds of matrimony when the law intervened.Bellingham, WA
- Jul 5, 1888The Day Seattle Stood Still: A Century of Celebration on the FrontierOn July 4, 1897, Governor John H. Temple welcomed thousands of visitors to a parade so massive it stretched half a mile long, featuring floats from local industries and veterans of the Spanish-American War.Seattle, WA
- Nov 10, 1888The Devil's Ledger: A Local Poet Exposes the Hypocrisy of Pullman’s EliteIn a rare moment of social commentary for Whitman County, an anonymous writer publishes a scathing series of rhetorical questions challenging the moral double standards of wealth, gender, and justice in 1889.Pullman, WA
- Jun 9, 1889The Great Seattle Fire: A City in Ruins, A Spirit RebuildingFollowing the devastating fire of 1889, Seattle's business leaders, bankers, and citizens mobilize to enforce strict brick-and-stone building codes while navigating the logistics of temporary survival.Great Seattle Fire, Seattle, WA
- Sep 12, 1889The Democratic Party Gathers in EllensburghA new generation of Democrats assembles to nominate a state ticket for the soon-to-be state of Washington.Kittitas County Courthouse, Ellensburg, WA
- Jun 3, 1892The Great Editorial Tug-of-WarWhen the National Editorial Association arrived in the Sound, Seattle and Tacoma engaged in a petty, comical, and highly public battle to 'kidnap' the visiting editors.Seattle, WA
- Jun 23, 1892The City Holds Its Breath for ClevelandSeattle crowds swarm the Post-Intelligencer bulletin board to witness the 1892 Democratic nomination, turning a distant Chicago event into a local spectacle.Seattle, WA
- Jul 4, 1892Seattle's Independence Day InvasionThousands of visitors flood Seattle for the Fourth of July, causing a housing shortage as the city prepares for a massive parade and naval spectacle.Seattle, WA
- Jul 5, 1892Seattle's Grand Independence Day JubileeA massive display of civic pride, featuring a grand parade of labor unions, military companies, and elaborate trade floats, marks the most ambitious celebration in the city’s history.Front Street, Seattle, WA
- Aug 27, 1892Seattle Lost the Ship Canal Fight in One Olympia NightThe 1892 Democratic state convention rejected the Lake Washington ship canal, humiliated King County's delegates and nominated Henry J. Snively for governor — setting off a political feud over Seattle's waterfront future.Olympia, WA
- Feb 16, 1893The Strange Mystery of Eugene Semple's 'Sack'As the senatorial deadlock in Olympia stretches on, an ex-governor arrives with rumors of a $1,000 slush fund to buy his way into office.Olympia, WA
- Apr 9, 1893The Human Deck of CardsA society spectacle at the Armory features 52 people dressed as playing cards in a meticulously choreographed dance that ended in a 'living' game of whist.Armory, Seattle, WA
- Feb 11, 1894A Claim to the Shingle ThroneA Ballard man challenges the history books, asserting he invented the sawed shingle in King County in 1874.Ballard, Seattle, WA
- Apr 10, 1894The Great Canal Scheme BlockedA judge strikes down a law that would have allowed private contractors to dig the Lake Washington canal and seize tide lands for profit.Lake Washington Canal, Seattle, WA
- Jan 7, 1895A Million Dollars Secured for the Lake Washington CanalDavid E. Durie returns from the East with financing for the tide flats waterway and ship canal, contingent on right-of-way and lock guarantees.Yesler Avenue, Seattle, WA
- Jan 8, 1895The Dirt Will Fly: Seattle's Tide Flats Get a Date With the DredgeA company backed by Eastern money says filling the Duwamish tide flats and excavating the waterway will begin within six weeks—if the canal right-of-way can be secured.Seattle, WA
- Jan 10, 1895The $5.5 Million Bet That Would Reshape Seattle's WaterfrontSt. Louis investors sign on to fill the tide flats and dig a canal linking Lake Washington to Puget Sound, betting Seattle will become the Pacific coast's leading city.Seattle, WA
- Feb 3, 1895The $3 Million Scheme to Turn Seattle's Tide Flats into Dry LandA private company plans to dredge the Duwamish and fill Elliott Bay's mudflats — paid not in cash but in land and liens — while St. Louis money waits to see the ground before it bets.Seattle, WA