R. G. O'Brien
Named in 9 stories. Back to all names
- Nov 6, 1891A Mayor, a Rigged Lottery, and the Fight for Olympia's City HallA month out from the municipal election, the Tribune accuses Mayor J. C. Horr of quietly fixing his fences for a second term — and the drawing of lots that handed one councilman a longer seat looks to a good many people like a put-up job.Olympia, WA
- Nov 30, 1891Olympia's 1891 City Election: Ward Caucuses, Backroom Maneuvers, and a Fight Over Fair PlayAs the Third Ward nominates a councilman and candidates jockey for mayor and treasurer, a taxpayer protests a plan for a mass convention that would sideline ward delegates.Olympia, WA
- Dec 3, 1891Olympia's Ward Caucus Turns on Who Counts as a CitizenA Second Ward meeting nominates C. H. Springer for council, but a delegate's citizenship and a sitting councilman's legal status throw the city ticket into question before the convention at Columbia Hall.Olympia, WA
- Dec 7, 1891Who Should Keep Olympia's Money?On the eve of the 1891 municipal election, a dozen anonymous Olympians argued over the city treasurer's race, a regular nominee, a new brick block, and a saloonkeeper's ten-dollar joke.Olympia, WA
- Dec 15, 1891The $70,000 Rebellion: Olympia Refuses to Pay Its Railroad BillNorthern Pacific missed its promised deadlines, so the citizens who pledged land and cash to bring the line to town decided the contract was void—and headed to court.Olympia, WA
- Feb 25, 1892A Bureaucratic Duel in Mason CountyA tart, hilarious correspondence reveals the friction between an autocratic Adjutant General and a defiant county official in early Washington.Shelton, WA
- Feb 25, 1892A Polish Rancher in Muddy Boots Sits Down at the Piano and Steals the ShowTwo hundred people in fancy dress fill the Olympia Theater to raise $83.75 for a Sherman Valley schoolhouse — with the lieutenant governor on fiddle, the mayor managing, and the sage of the valley in blue overalls at the keyboard.Olympia Theater, Olympia, WA
- Jun 25, 1893National Guard Encampment Canceled Due to Budget WoesLegislative underfunding forces the cancellation of the state's annual military encampment, sparking friction between the Adjutant General and brigade commanders.Olympia, WA
- Jul 27, 1903The Administrator, the Heir, and the Living Dead ManGeneral R. G. O'Brien faces a court showdown after a legal battle over an inheritance that traveled all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.Olympia, WA