J. J. McGilvra
Named in 19 stories. Back to all names
- Sep 26, 1872The First Teachers’ Institute: A Battle for Seattle’s SoulIn September 1872, the Territory’s top educators gathered in Seattle to debate everything from corporal punishment to the role of women in teaching, laying the groundwork for public education in Washington.Territorial University, Seattle, WA
- Oct 17, 1872The Editor Who Sold His Paper to a Brothel KeeperA scathing letter in the Puget Sound Dispatch exposes the corrupt alliance between Seattle’s Republican party and its most notorious vice kingpins, asking: 'What of that newspaper publisher... who for a palm share in the wages of prostitution gives his aid and influence?'Seattle, WA
- Jun 28, 1876The Centennial Bash of 1876A committee of Seattle’s power brokers prepares for a city-wide celebration of the nation’s 100th birthday.Seattle, WA
- Mar 9, 1878The Fight for Seattle’s Rail FutureIn 1878, a local leader rallied Seattle to demand federal land reform and a railroad connection, decrying the influence of corporate interests over the prosperity of the Territory.Seattle, WA
- Aug 17, 1878Seattle’s Early 1878 Council MeetingsBefore the skyline, the city was built on ordinances, grain dryers, and the push for a trans-mountain railroad.Washington Street, Seattle, WA
- Sep 21, 1878The Great Northern Pacific Railroad RobberyIn 1878, Seattle citizens packed a town hall to condemn the Northern Pacific Railroad, alleging that corporate greed and land fraud were strangling the territory's economic future.Seattle, WA
- May 10, 1880The Bold Dream to Remake Seattle's WaterwaysIn 1880, a group of prominent citizens proposed a canal between Lake Union and Puget Sound to drain Lake Washington, reclaim farmland, and create an industrial powerhouse.Seattle, WA
- Oct 30, 1880The Broken Promise of the Puyallup Coal RoadA political scandal erupts as Seattle accuses an attorney of pocketing fees while failing to stop the Northern Pacific Railway from seizing massive swathes of King County land.Seattle, WA
- Apr 20, 1884Seattle Rallies Against Northern Pacific 'Steal'Citizens organize to prevent a corporate land-grab of valuable coal and timber properties in King County.Seattle, WA
- Jul 15, 1888The Forgotten Union Labor Platform of 1888A century and a half ago, a Seattle candidate for the Union Labor Party laid out a vision for a government that serves the people, not the 'moneyed aristocracy.'Seattle, WA
- May 8, 1889The Battle Over Corporate Power at Washington’s Constitutional ConventionAs Washington delegates gathered to draft a new state constitution, a heated clash erupted over whether to explicitly restrain the influence of monopolies and the Northern Pacific Railroad.Opera House, Seattle
- Jan 1, 1891The Iron War for SeattleHow the city’s early pioneers fought a cutthroat land-monopoly struggle to ensure Seattle would not be sidelined by the Northern Pacific Railroad.Seattle, WA
- Jan 4, 1892A Final Adjournment for Colonel HainesSeattle’s legal community gathers to mourn one of its own, suspending court business to honor a life of service and the harsh reality of illness.King County Courthouse, Seattle, WA
- Jun 5, 1892The Waterfront's First Industry Ends in SmokeAn abandoned barrel factory, once a symbol of Seattle's early industrial ambition, was destroyed by a fire lit by local children looking to warm up after a swim.Seattle, WA
- Jan 20, 1895Taxpayers vs. County Hall: The Municipal League's 1895 RevoltA poorly attended Municipal League meeting still sent 200 taxpayers' signatures to the county commissioners, threatened impeachment, and fought over private counsel and school warrants.Chamber of Commerce, Seattle, WA
- Feb 21, 1895The Treasurer They Refused to SeatA thousand men packed Seattle's Armory to demand that John W. Maple take office as county treasurer, threatening a tax strike against King County commissioners — until a collection plate emptied the room.Seattle, WA
- Feb 23, 1895The $430,000 Question: King County's Treasurer Bond FightA taxpayers' committee demands commissioners reduce John Maple's bond and seat him as county treasurer, but the board says his sureties aren't worth the paper they're printed on.King County Courthouse, Seattle, WA
- Mar 14, 1895City Hall Showdown: Council and Reformers Clash Over Charter RevisionA heated joint meeting of the city council and civic organizations debates whether to call a special election for a new city charter, with accusations of bullying and claims of wasted taxpayer money.Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA
- Apr 2, 1898Seattle's Fruit Growers Take On the Wholesalers — and City HallA lively meeting of the King County Fruitgrowers' Society pushes for a cooperative cannery, hears a pioneer judge denounce the middlemen who ship in California's cast-offs, and calls out a city council that once tried to license peddlers out of business.Seattle, WA