James M. Ashton
Named in 6 stories. Back to all names
- May 1, 1890A Five-Million Dollar Railway GambleNorthern Pacific interests reveal massive plans to connect North Yakima to Shoalwater Bay, signaling a new era of dominance in Washington transit.Yakima, WA
- Jan 9, 1891The Political Smoke of 1891: Backroom Deals and Populist UprisingsWhile Washington’s early legislature debated the direct election of senators and railroad regulation, backroom meetings at the Olympia Hotel signaled the enduring influence of corporate power.Olympia Hotel, Olympia, WA
- Dec 19, 1891The Railroad Comes Collecting: Olympia's Subsidy Fight Heads to CourtNorthern Pacific's own attorney admits the line into Olympia cost the company $40,000 more than it took in — and announces he will sue every citizen who signed the bond anyway.Olympia, WA
- Dec 23, 1891The Tunnel Under Seventh Street: Two Property Owners Take On the RailroadCaptain Hatch seeks $10,000 and J. A. Silsby $5,000, blaming the Northern Pacific's new tunnel for damage to their buildings — while the railroad insists the city, not the company, should pay.Olympia, WA
- Jan 12, 1892The Donation Claim That Ended in Murder—and Took Decades to SettleA federal land ruling near Sumner untangles decades of inheritance, foreclosure, and a killing tied to a donation claim first filed in 1853.Sumner, WA
- Apr 7, 1895The Steamer That Slipped Through the Owners’ HandsThe Pacific Navigation Company sues the men who bought the Henry Bailey, claiming unpaid debts and liens sent the vessel to a marshal’s auction.Superior Court of Washington for King County, Seattle, WA