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1. Smallpox Outbreak in Port Townsend

   The port faces a health crisis after an Indian crew member is landed ashore with smallpox, sparking panic and strict quarantine measures.

   Sep 23, 1876The Northern StarPort Townsend, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · Disasters

2. The Last Voyage of Arthur Phinney: A Fleet of Steamers Bids Farewell to a Pioneer

   In June 1877, the death of Port Ludlow founder Arthur Phinney triggered an unprecedented maritime funeral procession on Puget Sound, uniting rival steamship lines and hundreds of mourners in a tribute to a man who championed labor and community.

   Jun 9, 1877The Northern StarPort Ludlow, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

3. The 'Whisky Trade' at Port Townsend

   A British gunboat captures twelve Indigenous prisoners following violent disorder fueled by the illegal supply of American spirits across the border.

   Apr 10, 1878The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyExclusion & Resistance · Nightlife

4. The Great Quarantine: Port Ludlow’s Armed Stand Against 'Commercial Agents'

   In a rare display of local vigilante health policy, armed residents of Port Ludlow blocked a boat from Victoria, British Columbia, forcing it away after learning the passengers had smallpox.

   Mar 17, 1877The Northern StarPort Ludlow, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

5. Smallpox Scare at Port Townsend

   Rumors of a smallpox outbreak on Puget Sound trigger public panic, but health officials scramble to reassure the community.

   Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

6. Squall Capsizes Boat Near Discovery Bay; Thomas Quinn Drowns

   A logging excursion near Discovery Bay ends in a fatal struggle for survival when a sudden squall capsizes a small boat.

   Oct 13, 1877The Northern StarDiscovery Bay, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyDisasters

7. The Mill That Could Have Been: A Snohomish Tragedy of Ambition and Illness

   In June 1877, the Northern Star reported on the collapse of a massive new mill project at Port Ludlow, blaming the death of its owner, Arthur Phinney, for halting construction that promised to rival any in the territory.

   Jun 16, 1877The Northern StarPort Ludlow, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay

8. Legal Ruling Defines Validity of Real Estate Leases

   A court case in Port Townsend clarifies the strict requirements for property leases, warning landowners that failing to notarize agreements can lead to disastrous litigation.

   Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyHousing & Rent

9. Midnight Fire at the Mill

   A sawmill employee barely escapes a late-night cabin blaze, losing his winter supplies to the flames.

   Nov 10, 1877The Northern StarDiscovery Bay, Jefferson CountyDisasters

10. A Tale of Two Trials: Inequality in the Courtroom

    A commentary on how disparate legal outcomes for two accused men—John Thompson and a man named Sutton—reveal the systemic influence of wealth, counsel, and community perception on justice in the Washington Territory.

    Oct 6, 1877The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall

11. The Mill That Built a Town: Inside Port Discovery’s Industrial Heart

    A rare look inside the massive lumber operation on Port Discovery Bay, where 60 men worked around the clock to feed the timber boom of the Pacific Northwest.

    Apr 21, 1877The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyBoom & Bust · Gone Forever

12. The Boom Town That Water Built

    A look at the commerce, civic ambition, and social life of Port Townsend as it established itself as the Pacific Northwest’s primary port of entry.

    Nov 10, 1877The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyBoom & Bust

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