Knights of Pythias
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- Jan 30, 1883Swords at the Wharf: A Case of Mistaken IdentityA peaceful arrival of Knights of Pythias members at the Seattle dock causes an amusing rumor of Fenian invaders.Seattle waterfront, Seattle, WA
- Dec 25, 1887The Desperate 'Stake' of a FugitiveAfter shooting an employer in Seattle, a wounded man is discovered in a cabin near a brickyard, revealing a tale of poverty, gambling, and a botched robbery.Seattle, WA
- Jul 4, 1888The Day Seattle Swallowed 10,000 Strangers: The Great Fourth of July FloodIn 1888, the Territory of Washington threw its biggest-ever Independence Day celebration. Steamers arrived loaded with visitors until the streets were so packed that police could barely move. Here is how Seattle hosted a crowd that nearly burst its seams.Opera House, Seattle
- Jul 24, 1888Inferno Consumes Roslyn Mining TownA devastating fire tore through the canyon-bound town of Roslyn, destroying over 100 buildings and leaving the mining community in ruins.Roslyn, WA
- Apr 22, 1890Fairhaven's Secret Society DebutThe local Knights of Pythias chapter officially forms as the largest lodge of its kind in Washington state, complete with an all-night induction ceremony.Fairhaven, WA
- May 20, 1892A Surprise Wedding at the Knights of Pythias HallA Seattle policeman elopes in Tacoma, interrupting a lodge meeting with a sudden matrimonial ceremony.Tacoma, WA
- Jun 16, 1892Aftermath of the Roslyn Mining DisasterCommunity relief efforts distribute aid to the families of miners killed in a recent disaster at the Roslyn coal mines.Roslyn, WA
- Sep 23, 1892Seattle’s Winning Knights Return from the NorthLocal Knights of Pythias divisions returned by steamer from a competition in New Westminster, carrying trophies and a 'mascot' terrier.Seattle, WA
- Nov 6, 1892A Grand Welcome for the Knights of PythiasSeattle lodges gather to honor Grand Chancellor Fred P. Offerman for his service to the order.Seattle, WA
- Dec 25, 1892The Mystery of the Double-Wound SuicideA grain dealer is found dead in his office with a bullet in his head and another in his chest, raising questions of how a single gun could be responsible.Washington Avenue, Blaine, WA
- Dec 31, 1892The Jailbreak of Port Angeles’ Fake BankerAfter fleecing investors and local organizations, Benjamin F. Schwartz slips past his jailer to disappear into the night.Seattle, WA
- Feb 19, 1893When 500 Knights Paraded Through Seattle: The 1893 Pythian BashThe Knights of Pythias marked their 30th anniversary with a grand parade, a ball for 1,500 at Armory Hall, and a secret ritual—while scouting land for a proposed Pythian home.Seattle, WA
- May 4, 1893A Sudden Tragedy at the Hoquiam DanceA beloved young Aberdeen businessman collapses and dies mid-dance, sending shockwaves through the community.Hoquiam, WA
- Jul 2, 1893Tragic Drowning of School JanitorA search for health ends in death for a respected member of multiple fraternal orders.Stillaguamish River, Stanwood, WA
- Aug 27, 1893Fraternal Orders Thrive Despite Economic GloomWhile the Panic of 1893 batters the economy, Seattle's secret societies are recording explosive membership growth.Seattle, WA
- Apr 1, 1894The Grand Pythian Ball at the Hotel Monte CristoEverett’s social calendar hit a peak in 1894 with a lavish ball hosted by the Knights of Pythias for hundreds of local guests.Hotel Monte Cristo, Everett, WA
- Jun 2, 1894A Fraternal Leader Draws the Line at English—and at the Ballot BoxVisiting Knights of Pythias supreme chancellor W. W. Blackwell wants the order to require English and ties voting rights to language, warning of foreign anarchists.Seattle, WA
- Jul 22, 1894Tacoma Pioneer David Lister Dies, Leaving a Legacy of Industry and ResilienceFrom the Great Peshtigo Fire to founding Washington's coke industry, Lister's life traced the raw beginnings of Tacoma.Tacoma, WA
- Aug 19, 1894Ballard’s Fire Chief Killed by a Falling 1,200-Pound Head-BlockFrank Finnerin was guiding five men across a mill tramway when the stringer gave way. He died fifteen minutes later in the boarding house, leaving a wife and three small children.Seattle, WA
- Aug 22, 1894Two Conductors’ Last Ride Ends Near LatonaA Monday-night railroad accident leaves two families arranging funerals and a coroner calling it unavoidable.Latona, Seattle, WA
- Aug 27, 1894A Mountain of Coffins: Franklin Buries Its MinersAfter a mine fire killed 37 men, the coal town of Franklin held a day of funerals—five graves at Black Diamond, three Italian miners on a hillside, and widows whose grief doctors feared would kill them.Franklin Cemetery, Black Diamond, WA
- Aug 27, 1894Seattle Rallies for the Franklin Mine's Widows and OrphansA newspaper fund drive, a Madison Park benefit and Black community organizers push relief past $275 for the families of miners killed in the Franklin disaster.Seattle, WA
- Jan 19, 1895A Miner's Last Spree: The Newcastle Suicide That Shocked a Coal TownAugust Sanders, a veteran Newcastle coal miner, shot himself after a drinking spree and the Coal Creek fire left him broke—an intimate glimpse of life and despair in Washington's coal country.Newcastle, WA
- Feb 5, 1895The Explorer Who Died Before His Guidebook Was PrintedVasco Wilson survived Alaska's Grand Canyon and a Siberian voyage, but typhoid killed him in Seattle just as his Yukon mining guide went to press.Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, WA
- Jun 29, 1916The Town Takes Up the DrillThirty local men gather at the Knights of Pythias hall to master military maneuvers, driven by a newfound surge of community patriotism.Kennewick, WA
- Mar 8, 1917Kennewick Knights of Pythias Host Chaotic 'Dokies' InitiationA parade of 'Tyros' in nightshirts and chains descended upon Kennewick as local Knights of Pythias held a rowdy ceremonial with members from Walla Walla.Kennewick, WA