Organization

Tacoma Ledger

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Nov 9, 1880The Gateway to the East: Why Snoqualmie Pass Won the RaceDecades before the modern highway, historical surveys and trade routes proved Snoqualmie Pass was the vital artery for Seattle’s expansion across the Cascades.Seattle, WA
Sep 25, 1883The Coal Wars: Seattle vs. TacomaA spirited defense of Seattle's industrial dominance against Tacoma's regional claims.Seattle, WA
Nov 29, 1883The Cheadle Point ShootingsA domestic dispute on a remote homestead near Tacoma turns into a violent, chaotic bloodbath involving a revolver and a desperate act of intervention.Tacoma, WA
Dec 29, 1883The Price of Convenience in the White River ValleyA model dairy operation is threatened not by failure, but by the overwhelming success of nearby transit and real estate.Kent, WA
May 20, 1884The Northern Pacific's Elusive Cascade BranchA skeptical look at how the Northern Pacific Railroad tried to rebrand its lines to secure land grants in King County.King County, Seattle, WA
Aug 6, 1885The Newspaper Feud That Defined Pioneer PoliticsWhen the 'Tacoma Ledger' accused a political rival of switching parties for personal gain, a blistering public retort revealed the cutthroat world of territorial power brokers.Seattle, WA
Oct 8, 1885The Myth of the 'Lawless' FrontierWhile regional papers fueled rumors of anarchy in Seattle during the anti-Chinese riots of 1885, the local press insisted the city was safer than ever.Seattle, WA
Mar 14, 1886Skeptics Question the 'Boom' in TacomaA blistering critique of the 'Tacoma Ledger' and its persistent, unsubstantiated claims regarding the city's industrial future.Tacoma, WA
Mar 17, 1887The Great 'Deep Water' Lie: Seattle vs. TacomaA leaked conversation between a Northern Pacific Railroad agent and a local editor reveals the cutthroat, manufactured rivalry over which city would become the true terminus for the wheat trade.Seattle, WA
Nov 24, 1887The Political Machine vs. Mr. HumesA fiery struggle over county boundaries reveals a deep-seated battle between Seattle’s citizenry and the powerful railroad political machine.Seattle, WA
Jan 3, 1891The Senatorial Duel: A Tale of Two Cities and One Beltway SeatAs the Washington legislature prepares to convene in 1891, the race for the U.S. Senate descends into a fierce local rivalry between established incumbent Watson C. Squire of Seattle and the ambitious newcomer Judge William H. Calkins of Tacoma.Washington State Capitol, Olympia, WA
Nov 5, 1891Surveyor Graft in the BackwoodsFederal deputy surveyors are accused of shaking down Washington Territory settlers for surveying fees already covered by government contracts.Aberdeen, WA
Nov 17, 1891"My Idol Is Broken": A Governor Denounces a Senator to His FaceMiles C. Moore accuses John B. Allen of selling out an old friend to climb into the Senate, and prints the speech he says he delivered at Allen's headquarters.Olympia, WA
Apr 6, 1892The Great 'Sour Grapes' Feud of 1892When a Tacoma newspaper attempted to trash the San Juan Islands as a speculative wasteland, the locals hit back in print—blaming the insult on petty jealousy over their loyalty to Seattle.Roche Harbor, Friday Harbor, WA
Jun 3, 1892The Great Editorial Tug-of-WarWhen the National Editorial Association arrived in the Sound, Seattle and Tacoma engaged in a petty, comical, and highly public battle to 'kidnap' the visiting editors.Seattle, WA
Jun 30, 1892The Canal Fight That Would Reshape SeattleSenator Allen's enemies are attacking him over his support for the Lake Washington ship canal — but the 1889 legislative memorial shows one of his loudest critics once voted for it.Seattle, WA
Jul 25, 1892A Confederate or a Dupe: The Fight Over Lake WashingtonA Seattle property owner denies he is part of a Tacoma-backed plot to defeat Senator John B. Allen over the Lake Washington Canal. The editor calls him a confederate or a dupe.Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA
Jul 28, 1892A Smear Campaign in the Seattle Streets: Newspaper Turf Wars and Local PoliticsA reader writes in to defend Senator Allen against a rival political 'combine' flooding Seattle with Tacoma newspapers to influence local opinion.Seattle, WA
Aug 25, 1892The Railroad Contractor Who Thought He Could Boss the Republican PartyNelson Bennett's Tacoma Ledger refused to back John H. McGraw and the state Republican ticket after a canal fight. A Pierce County senator told the party to stand by the convention—and warned that one wealthy man was not bigger than the party.Tacoma, WA
Sep 1, 1892Boss Bennett’s Moving BirthplaceA Tacoma political boss keeps relocating John H. McGraw’s birthplace—Bermuda one week, New Brunswick the next—as a Seattle paper cries foul in the 1892 governor’s race.Tacoma, WA
Sep 1, 1892The False Alienage ScandalRepublican gubernatorial candidate John H. McGraw fends off rumors he is a foreign-born citizen.Seattle, WA
Sep 1, 1892A Rabbi Fights Back: Spokane's Dr. Schreiber Sues Newspapers for LibelAfter a sensational rumor circulated about him, Rabbi Schreiber was exonerated by his congregation and now plans to sue the Seattle Telegraph, Tacoma Ledger, and San Francisco Examiner for defamation.Spokane, WA
Sep 18, 1892The Political Infighting of Tacoma's Republican MachineNelson Bennett's influence over the 'Tacoma Ledger' creates deep rifts in Pierce County politics, fueling tensions ahead of the local convention.Tacoma, WA
Sep 19, 1892The Political Schemer of TacomaHow a local industrialist bought a newspaper to build his own influence and secure public contracts.Tacoma, WA
Sep 22, 1892The Political Flip-Flop over the Lake Washington CanalA scathing editorial exposes the hypocrisy of a Tacoma publisher using the canal project as a pawn in a larger Republican party feud.Seattle, WA
Sep 22, 1892The High Price of Patronage PrintingA sharp look at how the Tacoma Ledger allegedly extracted $9,000 from the Pierce County treasury through sweetheart printing contracts.Tacoma, WA
Oct 3, 1892The Palace Revolt in Pierce CountyA vitriolic account of a secret meeting held by Republican party bolters in Tacoma.Tacoma, WA
Oct 14, 1892A Newspaper Feud in TacomaTacoma Tidende editor Dick Blaauw filed an affidavit denying the Ledger's claim he was bought by McGraw's campaign.Tacoma, WA
Oct 29, 1892The Heckler Who Fell FlatA political agitator's attempt to disrupt a Seattle campaign rally on Pioneer Place ends in a literal tumble.Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
Nov 17, 1892Smallpox Scare in Kittitas Irrigation CampA reported smallpox outbreak at an irrigation construction camp sparks local rumors of a 'stampede,' prompting Yakima officials to tighten police oversight on roads.Yakima, WA
Jan 20, 1893The Political Pressure on Mr. RutterA state legislator lashes out after the press accuses him of being a 'doubtful' vote in the contentious race for the U.S. Senate.Seattle, WA
Feb 9, 1893The Conman of the Grand PacificA hotelier’s prank turns into a headline as a fake British investor tricks a local reporter.Grand Pacific Hotel, Tacoma, WA
May 28, 1893A Custom Official's Reputation ClearedA malicious smear campaign against a Seattle official, fueled by Tacoma gossip, falls apart after the accuser retracts his claims.Port Townsend, WA
Sep 22, 1893Tacoma Council Fights 'Boodle' Printing CostsCouncil members allege a monopoly of local newspapers is price-gouging taxpayers for municipal notices.Tacoma, WA
Oct 8, 1893The Tacoma City Hall 'Hold Up'The Tacoma City Council railroaded a controversial printing contract through despite fierce protest from minority members who claimed it was illegal.Tacoma, WA
Oct 26, 1893The Price of a Scandalous DinnerWhen the Liberal Club stopped holding dinners at the Tacoma Hotel, the local Ledger newspaper turned its editorial page into a weapon.Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, WA
Nov 27, 1893The Newsboys' War Against the LedgerTacoma’s newspaper war turns street-level as organized newsboys mobilize to block the sale of a scab publication.Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA
Nov 28, 1893The 'Rat' Ledger and the Union StrikeAfter the Tacoma Ledger arbitrarily cut printers' wages by 30 percent, the labor union responded by boycotting the paper and launching a rival daily.Tacoma, WA
Dec 7, 1893The State's Secret School Fund BattleThe Board of State Land Commissioners strikes back against allegations of corruption during the financial crisis of 1893.Olympia, WA
Feb 17, 1894The Bank President and the Federal JudgeWhen the federal government began investigating his failing bank, a Tacoma business owner launched a public crusade against the judge presiding over the case.Tacoma, WA
Mar 9, 1894The Fight Over Washington's Capitol: A Governor, a Professor and a Press WarAs the state's new capitol building is designed, Seattle and Tacoma papers pound the selection commission with charges of favoritism — and Gov. McGraw's defenders fire back.Washington State Capitol, Olympia, WA
Apr 13, 1894The Tacoma Typographical Union Declares WarLocal printers launch a total and rigorous boycott against the Tacoma Ledger, accusing it of undermining labor and importing 'scab' and contract labor.Tacoma, WA
May 10, 1894The Boycott of the Tacoma LedgerA committee of women organizers visits merchants to enforce a labor boycott against a non-union newspaper.Tacoma, WA
Jul 21, 1894Tacoma’s Missing Warrant Book and the Forgery Scandal at City HallA former assistant city clerk had already been sent to prison. Now his talk of accomplices had Tacoma officials eyeing a missing warrant book and city paper selling at a steep discount in Chehalis.Tacoma, WA
Jul 31, 1894A Gambling Charge, a Judge, and a Libel Threat in WhatcomA Tacoma Ledger correspondent claims a superior court judge and a customs deputy lost Democratic Party money in a Seattle saloon. The accused demand a retraction as a faction fight boils over.Bellingham, WA
Sep 7, 1894Seattle Newsboys Take Tacoma by StormA pack of Seattle newsboys descends on the Interstate Fair, jeers a non-union print shop, climbs the roofs, and eats Chilberg’s restaurant out of house and home.Tacoma, WA
Jan 2, 1895Tacoma's 1894: Falling Lumber, Rising Flour, and a New Rolling MillThe Ledger's year-end review found reasons for optimism in shipping, smelting, meat packing, and new rail connections—even as low prices cut into the lumber trade.Tacoma, WA
Jan 3, 1895When a Railroad Pass Was a Bribe in a PocketA Tacoma editor demands Washington's lawmakers enforce the constitutional ban on free train passes, arguing the 'courtesy' bought influence one legislator at a time.Tacoma, WA
Jan 19, 1895The Senate Seat and the Missing QuorumOlympia Republicans try to unite behind Ankeny or Wilson, but a holiday exodus and a Populist refusal leave the 1895 U.S. Senate election in limbo.Olympia, WA
Jan 20, 1895The Olympia Senate Fight: Ankeny vs. Wilson, with a Seattle Lawyer as SpoilerA last-minute candidacy by Allen threatens to split the Ankeny vote and hand the U.S. Senate seat to Wilson, in a behind-the-scenes battle that has Olympia buzzing.Olympia, WA
Jan 20, 1895The Railroads Wanted a Senator, and They Worked Olympia to Get HimA Republican paper accuses John L. Wilson of backing a railroad-friendly bill while transcontinental lines quietly lobby the legislature to send him to the U.S. Senate — and Tacoma's A.P.A. splits over the fight.Olympia, WA
Jan 29, 1895Twenty-Three Ballots, No SenatorWashington's legislature spends the day deadlocked between Levi Ankeny and John L. Wilson, while George Turner withdraws and a bogus Tacoma Ledger interview roils the contest.Olympia, WA
May 4, 1900The Tariff Struggle Against Steel MonopoliesNew government statistics reveal a massive spike in iron and steel imports, challenging the power of domestic trusts to set prices.Colfax, WA
Apr 25, 1904Democrats Try to Buy a Newspaper, but The Times Won't Be a 'Party Organ'Local Democratic leaders, unhappy with the Ledger and the News, scout for a morning daily to call their own — and get a flat refusal when they ask whether The Tacoma Times is for sale.Tacoma, WA