Watson C. Squire
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- Jun 9, 1885When the Titans of Industry Came to SeattleIn 1885, as Seattle clamored for growth, a high-society banquet for Senator John Sherman and railroad executives signaled the dawn of the city's obsession with 'big industry'—and the blunt, profit-driven advice they offered to the locals.Opera House, Seattle
- Nov 5, 1885The Governor’s Plea for Order During the Anti-Chinese RiotsGovernor Watson C. Squire issues a stern warning against the vigilante violence sweeping across Puget Sound in 1885.Seattle, WA
- Nov 15, 1885The Governor’s Tightrope Walk During the Anti-Chinese RiotsHow local officials navigated the tense atmosphere in Seattle before the arrival of federal troops in 1885.Seattle, WA
- Dec 9, 1885The State of the Territory: 1885Governor Watson C. Squire delivers a wide-ranging address on Washington's rapid growth, the need for a penitentiary, and the rising 'anti-Chinese' labor tensions in Seattle.Seattle, WA
- Feb 9, 1886The Mob, The Military, and the Riot at the Seattle WharfIn February 1886, a citizen-led campaign of forced expulsion against Seattle’s Chinese residents spiraled into a violent confrontation, triggering a week of martial law and armed conflict in the streets.Seattle, WA
- Feb 10, 1886The City Under Martial Law: Seattle's 1886 ExpulsionA presidential proclamation from Grover Cleveland arrived in Seattle, authorizing the use of federal troops to suppress 'domestic violence' and restore order after anti-Chinese mobs took to the streets.Seattle, WA
- Feb 10, 1886Under the Provost Marshal: Seattle’s Martial LawWhen the city was placed under military rule during the anti-Chinese riots of 1886, residents faced a new, forced reality of curfews, passes, and armed sentries on every corner.Front Street, Seattle, WA
- Feb 10, 1886The Riot of 1886: Seattle’s Dark Chapter of ExclusionA state-sanctioned mob forces Chinese residents from their homes, leading to martial law and a bloody confrontation at the wharf.Seattle, WA
- Feb 11, 1886The Siege of Seattle: When Martial Law Came to the WaterfrontAs anti-Chinese riots gripped Seattle in February 1886, Governor Watson Squire declared martial law, bringing in federal troops to suppress the violence and restore order at the docks.Seattle, WA
- Feb 23, 1886After the Riot: Martial Law and the Reassertion of Civil OrderGovernor Watson C. Squire revokes martial law in Seattle following the forced expulsion of Chinese laborers, signaling a return to civil governance.Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
- Aug 29, 1886The Republican Convention of King CountyA raucous 1886 political gathering reveals a party divided by railroad influence, local prohibition, and the intense anti-Chinese sentiment of the era.Seattle, WA
- Apr 10, 1887The Irish Question in 1887 SeattleA fervent mass meeting at Frye’s Opera House saw Seattle residents packing the rafters to protest British 'coercion' of Ireland, drawing parallels to American liberty.Seattle, WA
- Apr 24, 1887The Governor’s Sudden ExitAfter maintaining order during the 1885 anti-Chinese riots, Washington’s Republican Governor Watson C. Squire is ousted by a Democratic administration, leaving a polarized territory behind.Old Capitol Building, Olympia, WA
- Jun 12, 1887The Governor’s Hotel: A Scandal of Misplaced ChargesWhen an out-of-town politician accused Washington Territory Governor Watson C. Squire of war profiteering during the anti-Chinese riots, the business community and local Democrats rallied to defend his integrity.Seattle, WA
- Jun 19, 1888The Shadowy Legal Battles of Territorial SeattleWhile the territory grew, its supreme court faced a backlog of land disputes, maritime claims, and corporate friction that mirrored the rapid expansion of the Pacific Northwest.Seattle, WA
- Aug 8, 1888The Governor’s Grand Brick BlockAs Seattle expands, former Washington Territorial Governor Watson C. Squire commissions a massive new downtown commercial building on South Second and Main Streets.Seattle, WA
- Jan 2, 1889The Bankers of Yesler-LearyEx-Governor Squire and a syndicate of prominent Seattle businessmen announce the formation of the city's newest bank, banking on the promise of the Pacific Northwest.Seattle, WA
- Jan 4, 1889Ellensburg Convention Pushes Washington Statehood in 1889Delegates gathered in Ellensburg in 1889 to demand admission into the Union, arguing that the territory had matured into a self-sustaining, prosperous commonwealth.Kittitas County Courthouse, Ellensburg, WA
- Jul 5, 1889The Battle for the Tide-FlatsA group of enterprising squatters use the cover of darkness to plant cabins on disputed Seattle waterfront land, challenging a prominent businessman's claim.Weller Street, Seattle, WA
- Aug 3, 1889The Great Seattle Rebuild After the FireConstruction crews rush to replace the city’s burned-out downtown with brick and iron blocks before the end of the year.Front Street, Seattle, WA
- Nov 28, 1889The Senatorial Backroom DealAfter his defeat in the race for the U.S. Senate, Judge George Turner reveals the 'combination' of political maneuvering and broken promises that cost him the seat.Olympia, 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
- Jan 11, 1891The High-Stakes Senate Betting ScandalA political showdown over the U.S. Senate seat between Judge Calkins and Senator Watson C. Squire turns into a frantic, high-dollar gambling display in an Olympia hotel lobby.Olympia Hotel, Olympia, WA
- Jan 12, 1891A Senator’s Lake Washington CommuteSenator Watson C. Squire returns to Seattle to mediate a messy standoff with the Belt Line railroad, which carved a deep, uncrossable ditch right through his prized farmstead.Rainier Valley, Seattle, WA
- Jan 15, 1891The Price of a Senate Seat: Inside the 1891 Power Struggle in OlympiaAs a crucial U.S. Senate election looms, Seattle political figures and state legislators grapple with accusations of bribery, railroad monopolies, and the 'corrupt' influence of money in Washington’s halls of power.Washington State Capitol, Olympia, WA
- Jan 20, 1891The Olympia Hotel RiotA political caucus to nominate a U.S. Senator erupts into a shouting match and physical brawl as factions clash over the candidate list.Hotel Olympia, Olympia, WA
- Jan 20, 1891The Tacoma Land Grab: How Rich Men Tried to Steal Washington’s Senate SeatIn January 1891, Seattle’s press rallied behind incumbent Senator Watson Squire against a rival backed by Tacoma’s wealthy elite, exposing a bitter battle over whether the state would be ruled by its people or its land barons.Olympia, WA
- Jan 22, 1891The Senator’s Homecoming: A City Roars for Watson SquireThousands line the Seattle waterfront as the Bailey Gatzert steamer arrives, carrying newly re-elected U.S. Senator Watson C. Squire home from Olympia in a spontaneous ovation of cheers, champagne christenings, and civic pride.Seattle, WA
- Jan 26, 1891The Gall and Wormwood of Olympia: Tacoma’s Defeat in the Senate RaceAs Washington's first U.S. Senator is chosen in a bitter legislative battle, defeated candidate Calkins' supporters cry foul, while Jefferson County delegates secure the victory for Watson Squire.Olympia, WA
- Feb 24, 1891The Fight for the Sound’s First Dry DockA century before Puget Sound became a hub of naval power, local politicians battled Congress for federal funding to establish a permanent dry dock at Port Orchard.Port Orchard, 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
- Nov 24, 1891The Newspaper Owner Who Was Supposed to Run SeattleA New York interview made real-estate investor Hunt sound like a political kingmaker; Olympia's Tribune said the boast was mostly hot air.Seattle, WA
- Feb 6, 1892Seattle’s Half-Million Dollar Federal WindfallSenator Squire secures a unanimous committee recommendation for a $500,000 federal building in Seattle, citing the city's explosive growth and soaring customs receipts.Seattle, WA
- Mar 26, 1892The Political Fight Over the Washington Hop HarvestAs local growers mobilized against a proposed federal tariff reduction on hops, an 1892 letter to the editor captures the early struggle between agricultural protectionism and corporate interests in the White River Valley.Auburn, WA
- May 26, 1892The Fight for Gray’s Harbor: Local Power vs. The Seattle CanalAn early battle over the Lake Washington ship canal reveals how local leaders viewed state resources and the influence of Seattle-based power.Gray's Harbor, Aberdeen, WA
- Jun 5, 1892Seattle Lumbermen Fight to Keep the TariffLocal mill owners plead to keep import duties on British Columbia lumber, citing the threat of cheap Chinese labor to local wages.Seattle, WA
- Aug 26, 1892The Political Betrayal of SeattleAt the 1892 State Democratic Convention, a coalition of Pierce County delegates and King County defectors successfully turned the party platform against Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal project.Olympia, WA
- Oct 28, 1892Lake Washington Canal Becomes a Party Platform IssueBoth Republicans and Democrats fight over a proposed ship canal to connect Puget Sound to Lake Washington, turning the infrastructure project into a central campaign issue.Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA
- Nov 23, 1892King County Railroads and Valleys Reeling from Historic FloodingAs floodwaters finally begin to recede, residents and rail companies assess the massive destruction left in the wake of the '92 deluge.Duwamish River, Auburn, WA
- Nov 28, 1892The Empire of the PacificSenator Watson C. Squire argues that Puget Sound is a defenseless frontier, vulnerable to the British naval presence at Esquimalt.Seattle, WA
- Jan 24, 1893A Sick Hospital for SeamenSenator Squire intervenes as reports surface about the wretched, dilapidated state of the Port Townsend Marine Hospital.Port Townsend, WA
- Feb 14, 1893The Fight for a State PrisonSenator Watson C. Squire pushes for federal funds to build a Washington penitentiary, arguing the state has been left behind while Dakota and Montana received their due.Walla Walla, WA
- Apr 12, 1893New $100,000 Commercial Building Approved for Downtown SeattleA five-story brick and stone structure is set for the corner of Main and Second streets, intended for wholesale tenants.Seattle, WA
- Apr 15, 1893The passing of a pioneer farmerMichael B. Ward, who hosted President Rutherford B. Hayes and Governor Watson C. Squire at his Walla Walla homestead, has died at age 75.Walla Walla, WA
- Dec 31, 1893Ballard’s Plea for a Deeper HarborBefore it was a neighborhood, Ballard was the 'shingle capital of the world' and petitioned Congress to dredge its shallow, muddy waterfront.Salmon Bay, Seattle, WA
- Jun 4, 1894A Senator’s Gift of StoneSenator Watson C. Squire offers the city free rock from his Duwamish River quarries to help jumpstart local street paving efforts.Duwamish River, Seattle, WA
- Aug 10, 1894The Dry Dock Deal That Promised 300 Jobs in Ten DaysA revised Navy contract at Port Orchard promised hundreds of jobs and a permanent naval station—and contractors insisted their work had been vindicated.Seattle, WA
- Aug 30, 1894The Day Tacoma Painted Itself Blue, White and YellowA mile-long parade, camels, a captive elk and a senator's electric button opened the Interstate Fair in a burst of Northwest boosterism.Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA
- Sep 12, 1894Seattle's Chamber Tries to Get Tacoma on Board for a Ship CanalIn 1894, Seattle's business leaders asked their Tacoma counterparts to endorse a Lake Washington-to-Puget Sound waterway and petition Congress for the project.Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA
- Sep 16, 1894The Canal Came With a Catch: Seattle Had to Secure the LandCongress had finally committed to a Lake Washington ship canal, but the money came with a condition: Seattle had to secure a free right-of-way from property owners. In 1894, civic leaders began the campaign that would decide whether the project moved forward.Seattle, WA
- Jan 11, 1895The Niagara of the Northwest: Wiring Snoqualmie Falls to SeattleA new company with $2 million in capital proposes to harness a 265-foot waterfall 23 miles east and sell 5,000 horse power of electricity to the city — if the capitalists will foot the bill.Snoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie, WA
- Jan 19, 1895The River That Would Light Seattle: Snoqualmie Falls Power Company IncorporatedIn January 1893, a $2 million company filed articles to harness Snoqualmie Falls and wire electricity to Seattle—an early bet that turned a waterfall into urban power.Snoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie, WA
- Feb 4, 1895The Waterfall That Would Light SeattleIn 1895, promoters promised to harness Snoqualmie Falls—taller than Niagara and only 23 miles from Seattle—and send thousands of horsepower over copper wire.Snoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie, WA