Tacoma
Named in 14 stories. Back to all names
- Dec 16, 1876The Great Sailor Shortage: Why Seattle’s Labor Market Was Starving for HandsIn December 1876, the city faced a paradoxical crisis: despite the suspension of summer logging work, sailors were vanishing from the docks. Commissioner Ballou reported that a single crewman was worth more than a pair of jacks in poker, as wages had to be inflated just to secure basic maritime labor.Seattle, WA
- Dec 2, 1880The City That Waited Too LongA scathing editorial from 1880 chides Seattle’s civic leaders for their 'supine' failure to build the roads necessary to secure the region's economic future.Seattle, WA
- Feb 24, 1883The Tragic Wreck of the Steamer TacomaCaptain George D. Korts faces an official inquiry into the catastrophic loss of the vessel, revealing a series of navigational errors and failed rescue attempts.Port Townsend, WA
- Mar 29, 1885Why Seattle Is Quiet While Tacoma BoomsA comparison of economic philosophies reveals Seattle’s conservative approach to business and growth in 1886.Seattle, WA
- Jun 12, 1885Midnight Collision on the SoundA steam tug towing a barge is struck by an ocean-going ship in the dark of night, leaving the tug's crew scrambling for their lives.Puget Sound, Port Townsend, WA
- Aug 21, 1885The Struggle Over Mount RainierA traveler in 1885 recounts a journey from Portland to Seattle, noting the locals' intense and 'desperate' campaign to rename the iconic peak dominating the Tacoma skyline.Tacoma, WA
- Jan 1, 1886The City That Outgrew Its RivalsAn 1885 dispatch from the front lines of the Seattle boom describes a town shedding its humble roots and leaving former neighbors like Steilacoom in the dust.Belltown, Seattle, WA
- Jun 19, 1888The Confidence Game on the Kalama-Tacoma LineA traveler from Missouri lost his life savings to a smooth-talking stranger on a train, proving that 'confidence men' were a perennial threat to those passing through the region.Tacoma, WA
- May 29, 1889The City's Quest for Poultry IndependenceLocal entrepreneurs are opening large chicken ranches to end Seattle’s reliance on imports from Portland.Seattle, WA
- Feb 4, 1891Tacoma Votes to Expand City InfrastructureCitizens approve a massive bond issue to fund a new City Hall and retire outstanding warrants.Tacoma, WA
- Dec 4, 1892The Fever and the Fall: Life in a Frontier BoomtownA vivid account of the psychological and physical intensity of rapid urban growth—and the devastating silence left behind when the bubble bursts.Seattle, WA
- Nov 9, 1893The Economic Chill on the WaterfrontShipping faces a depression as crews are paid off and vessels are laid up in port.Quartermaster Harbor, Seattle, WA
- Jul 1, 1899The Knight in Blue: Officer Grant’s Chivalrous Knife Work Saves a Tacoma LadyWhen a piece of lace tore during the Christian Endeavor convention, one Seattle policeman didn't just offer sympathy—he offered his pocketknife and a bow.Yesler Avenue, Seattle, WA
- Jul 5, 1899The Day Farmers Blew Up a DamIn a bold act of agrarian rebellion on the Fourth of July, Stuck River farmers used dynamite to destroy the White River dam, draining the muck and reclaiming their land.Puyallup, WA