Watson Squire
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- Nov 11, 1883The New Face of Main StreetA wooden 'temporary' structure goes up at the corner of Main and Second, drawing both praise for its utility and a critique of Seattle's lack of permanent masonry.Seattle, WA
- Feb 6, 1885The Governor’s Vision: Washington Territory in 1885A wide-ranging interview with Governor Watson Squire details the rise of the Cascade division of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the economic optimism of a growing frontier.Seattle, WA
- Apr 21, 1885The Con Artist Who Fleeced All of SeattleA smooth-talking lawyer arrives with a letter of introduction from the Governor, only to leave a trail of unpaid debts, fake mortgages, and broken promises across the city.Front Street, Seattle, WA
- Jun 27, 1885Governor Squire's Alki Point PicnicA grand summer outing at Alki Point brings together Seattle's elite, complete with a pavilion feast, sea-side dancing, and a dramatic recitation of 'Old Settler.'Alki Point, Seattle, WA
- Jul 7, 1885The Unsung Heroes of the July 4th CelebrationWhile the Governor delivered speeches, an obscure register of local citizens reminds us who actually built the early life of Centralia.Centralia, WA
- Nov 6, 1885The Expulsion from SeattleWhile Washington Territory’s leaders exchanged telegrams regarding the forced removal of Chinese residents from Tacoma, the Seattle press reported on the 'peaceable' but total displacement of the city's Chinese population.Seattle, WA
- Mar 3, 1886The Battle Over the Memory of the Chinese ExpulsionA fiery rebuttal to external accounts of the 1886 anti-Chinese riots in Seattle.Waterfront, Seattle, WA
- Mar 9, 1886The Territorial Militia's Role in Seattle's Anti-Chinese RiotsAn editorial reflection on Governor Squire's use of armed citizen militias to enforce martial law during the 1886 expulsion of Seattle's Chinese population.Seattle, WA
- Apr 14, 1886Washington Territory's Eight-Year Push for StatehoodA Senate floor speech details the eight-year struggle for Washington Territory to shed its frontier status and become a state, including the controversial proposal to annex Idaho's northern panhandle.Seattle, WA
- Apr 15, 1886The Argument for Statehood: Washington's Manifest DestinyAn impassioned appeal for Washington Territory's admission to the Union, highlighting its timber, agriculture, and shipbuilding potential as proof of its readiness to become a state.Seattle, WA
- Aug 20, 1886The Martial Law Debate that Rocked the TerritoryWhen the Democratic Party of Washington Territory tried to denounce Governor Squire for imposing martial law, they ended up in an awkward tangle of political hypocrisy.Front Street, Seattle, WA
- Aug 24, 1886The Political Shuffle Before StatehoodAs Washington Territory neared statehood in 1886, Republican leaders in Seattle scrambled to settle on a single, unified candidate for Delegate to Congress—a move that local power brokers hoped would avoid the bitter factionalism of the past.Front Street, Seattle, WA
- Sep 22, 1886The Siege of Seattle: Governor Squire’s Martial LawA fiery defense of the 1886 imposition of martial law during the anti-Chinese riots, arguing that civil authority had collapsed under the pressure of the mob.Seattle, WA
- Sep 16, 1887The Night Seattle Celebrated a Railroad Power ShiftWhen Henry Villard returned to the Northern Pacific board in 1886, thousands of Seattle citizens flooded the streets, hopeful that a friend of the city would finally ensure fair play for its local economy.Occidental Square, Seattle, WA
- Jan 1, 1889The Great Seattle Building Boom of 1888A meticulously logged list of nearly 1,500 structures built in a single year, revealing a city transforming from a frontier outpost into a bustling metropolis.Seattle, WA
- Aug 22, 1889The Republican Feud for State ControlA collapse of party harmony in Seattle threatens the GOP's grip on the emerging state government.Seattle, WA
- Jan 7, 1891Squire Arrives in Olympia as Senate Fight Heats UpAs Senator Watson Squire arrives to secure his reelection, the halls of the state capital are buzzing with political maneuvering, railroad regulation debates, and the lingering shadow of the Wounded Knee massacre.Olympia, WA
- Jan 22, 1891The Darkest Hour: Temperance Leader Declares Cause 'Dead' Amidst Political CorruptionAt the State Temperance Alliance meeting in Seattle, Rev. Clark Davis delivers a scathing indictment of the liquor industry's grip on politics and religion, while Rep. De Steiguer rallies support for Watson Squire.Seattle, WA
- Jan 23, 1891The Senator’s Farewell: Mrs. Squire’s Lobby Battle and a Pledge to 'All the People'As Watson Squire prepares to leave Seattle for Washington D.C., his wife recounts the chaotic reality of their election victory at the Olympia hotel, while he pledges impartial service to the entire state.Rainier Club, Seattle
- Feb 12, 1891The Senate Picks Port Orchard for New Naval Dry DockSenator Squire secures a legislative victory for Washington, outmaneuvering Oregon representatives to establish the naval site.Port Orchard, Port Orchard, WA
- Mar 9, 1892The Dream of a Gateway to the LakesIn 1892, Senator Watson Squire made a bold pitch to Congress for a ship canal connecting Puget Sound to Lakes Union and Washington, arguing it would be a strategic marvel for the U.S. Navy and the region’s commercial might.Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA
- Mar 10, 1892The Senate Floor Feud Over the Columbia RiverTensions simmer in Washington D.C. as Washington’s senators battle Oregon’s political machine for control over the Columbia River’s shipping rights and infrastructure.Seattle, WA
- Mar 12, 1892The Senatorial Tug-of-War Over the Puget SoundIn 1892, Washington’s first senators fought to prevent their state from losing its autonomy to Oregon’s political muscle in a dispute over customs districts.Seattle, WA
- Mar 23, 1892The Senator’s Lament: Puget Sound vs. the Columbia RiverIn 1892, Senator Watson Squire sparred with his colleagues over federal infrastructure spending, arguing that sinking millions into the Columbia River served only Portland while neglecting the burgeoning commercial potential of Puget Sound.Seattle, WA
- Apr 20, 1892The Decades-Long Struggle for the Ship CanalWhile Washington’s politicians bickered over river improvements and silver coinage in 1892, Seattle’s leaders were quietly lobbying Congress to fund the monumental task of connecting Puget Sound to Lake Union and Lake Washington.Seattle, WA
- Apr 24, 1892The Navy Was Coaling in British Ports, Ignoring Seattle's MinesWhen local business leaders discovered U.S. warships were bypassing Puget Sound coal for Canadian supplies, they triggered a federal investigation and a new policy.Seattle, WA
- May 2, 1892The Senator and the Exclusion ActIn 1892, Senator Watson Squire argued before the U.S. Senate for the formal registration and continued exclusion of Chinese laborers, framing the policy as a defense of 'American manhood' and societal stability.Seattle, WA
- May 4, 1892The Petty Feud Over the Lake Washington CanalWhile Seattle lawmakers pushed for a monumental canal to connect the lakes to the Puget Sound, Tacoma’s boosters fought the project simply to spite their rival neighbor.Seattle, WA
- Jan 27, 1893The Birth of Mount Rainier National ParkFederal officials move to secure the mountain's forests and glaciers for public preservation, setting the stage for a new national treasure.Mount Rainier, Ashford, WA
- Feb 5, 1893The Political Fight for the Port Orchard Dry DockAn Everett booster attempts to block federal funding for the Kitsap County naval facility in a desperate bid to lure it to his own town.Port Orchard, WA
- Feb 19, 1893The Struggle to Dredge the SnohomishSenator Squire lobbies federal engineers to clear the Snohomish River, highlighting the constant battle for infrastructure funding in a growing region.Snohomish River, Everett, WA
- Mar 11, 1893The Governor’s Executive FiatAfter the state legislature deadlocked and failed to elect a U.S. Senator, Governor McGraw unilaterally appointed John B. Allen to fill the seat.Olympia, WA
- Dec 12, 1893Washington’s Economic Front at RiskA proposed federal tariff bill faces fierce resistance from the Pacific Northwest, with warnings that removing duties on lumber will crush local industry.Seattle, WA
- Dec 12, 1893The Fight for Port Angeles Public FundsMayor M.J. Maloney of Port Angeles travels to Washington D.C. to lobby for a bill that would keep land sale revenue in the city for local improvements.Port Angeles, WA
- Dec 27, 1893Senator Squire Intervenes to Reopen Spokane BankAfter the 1893 financial panic, political pressure from Senator Watson Squire helped the Citizens' National Bank of Spokane resume operations.Spokane, WA
- Apr 3, 1894Indigenous Opposition to the Squire BillJonas Stannup warns against the theft of tribal land by government commissioners, citing the suspicious nature of the 'Squire bill'.Tacoma, WA
- Apr 9, 1894The Navy Puts Puget Sound Coal to the TestFederal authorities order warships Yorktown and Monterey to Seattle to determine if local coal can power the U.S. Navy.Seattle, WA
- May 3, 1894Senator Squire Speaks Out Against 'The Day of Doom'Washington State’s Senator Watson Squire takes to the Senate floor to argue that the pending Democratic tariff reform will destroy the state's lumber and mining industries.Seattle, WA