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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1871 | 8 |
| 1872 | 109 |
| 1876 | 535 |
| 1877 | 377 |
| 1878 | 279 |
| 1879 | 15 |
| 1880 | 134 |
| 1882 | 98 |
| 1883 | 508 |
| 1884 | 325 |
| 1885 | 563 |
| 1886 | 359 |
| 1887 | 324 |
| 1888 | 314 |
| 1889 | 800 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 340 |
| 1892 | 1,326 |
| 1893 | 1,600 |
| 1894 | 1,228 |
| 1895 | 1,049 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 8 |
| 1898 | 20 |
| 1899 | 366 |
| 1900 | 6 |
| 1902 | 5 |
| 1903 | 152 |
| 1904 | 69 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 74 |
| 1910 | 25 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 5 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 27 |
| 1917 | 10 |
| 1923 | 9 |
| 1924 | 11 |
| 1925 | 3 |
| 1928 | 10 |
| 1929 | 15 |
11,139 stories
- The City Council’s War on Williams: How Seattle Tried to Fire Its Own Engineer
A bitter power struggle between the Board of Aldermen and city engineer Benezette Williams led to a legislative loophole designed to strip him of his contract, sparking fears of costly lawsuits and stalled infrastructure projects.
- The Opium Ring and the Floating Body: A Seattle Murder Mystery
When Abner Abbott’s body was found in the tide flats, suspicion fell on a smuggling ring. Was he silenced for knowing too much about a $400 check from China?
- The Plot to Lock Up a Witness: How Greed Tried to Silence a Pioneer
William De Shaw, a respected Seattle merchant and witness to a will worth millions in British Columbia, was nearly committed to an insane asylum by land speculators who wanted his testimony silenced.
- The Thief in Blue: Police Chief Exposes Captain’s Theft of Prisoners’ Belongings
A dramatic hearing reveals Officer Fayban’s accusation that Captain Henry Sheahan stole handkerchiefs, neckties, and cash from arrested men, sparking a bitter war of words between Seattle’s top law enforcement officials.
- Death in the Ring at the People's Theater
A sparring match at a downtown variety hall turns fatal, sparking a city-wide crackdown on brutal 'glove contests'.
- Moving the University: A Fight Over Land and Legacy
Legislators and local boosters draft a plan to relocate the University of Washington and untangle decades of messy land titles.
- The Trial of Carrie Goldsmith
A police court judge hears a test case against a 'disorderly woman' that could determine the fate of dozens of others facing arrest.
- Seattle's Justice System Ruled Illegal
A state Supreme Court decision against Tacoma’s police court has triggered a legal crisis in Seattle, leaving local officials scrambling to save the city’s ability to prosecute crime.
- The Blast at Mason Slip
A steam tug carrying three crew members is obliterated in a freak explosion on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Sunday Saloon War: When Seattle’s Business Elite Fought for the Right to Rest
In January 1885, a heated civic battle erupted over the enforcement of Sunday closing laws, pitting the city’s liquor trade against a coalition of reformers and weary laborers.
- The Judge and the Vigilantes: A Seattle Lynching Mystery
A local jurist finds himself on a coroner's jury for a vigilante killing, sparking a fierce public debate over whether the law should be enforced by the courts or by the 'indignant populace.'
- The Tale of Two Towns: A Battle for the Depot
As the railroad bypasses established settlements, a bitter conflict erupts between long-time residents and land speculators creating a brand-new town three miles away.
- The Strange Disappearance of John Steele
A Seattle man is lured to a Canadian steamer under the pretense of work, only to be held captive and told he is a deserter from the British army.
- Fatal Debt: A Dispute Over Sewing Machine Collections Ends in Murder
A Seattle sewing machine manager, Arthur M. Peck, was fatally shot at his residence after a heated collection dispute with a client in Olympia escalated to lethal violence.
- The Judge and the Paper: A Judicial Power Play in 1885 Seattle
When a Seattle newspaper editor made a habit of attacking Chief Justice Greene, the court didn't just sue for libel—it took direct control of the editorial desk.
- Tragedy at the Tremont Hotel
A morning boiler explosion at a five-story hotel left multiple dead and injured, rattling the foundations of downtown Seattle.
- The Deadly Dispute at the Arcade
A long-standing property feud between members of the Dashaway Association erupts into a shooting in the heart of Seattle’s business district.
- The Tragedy at Second and Stewart
A domestic dispute ends in a death, sparking mutual accusations of murder and poisoning in a Seattle household.
- A Deadly Afternoon in Seattle
A rifle shot aimed at a magazine door results in a catastrophic explosion, claiming lives and damaging buildings across the neighborhood.
- The 1886 Municipal Election: A Fight Over 'Law and Order' vs. Business Interests
As Seattle gears up for a city election, a fierce political battle erupts over the enforcement of liquor laws, city debt, and the controversial administration of Mayor Leary.
- The Scandal at St. Mary’s
A Seattle Episcopal rector faces a congregation-led revolt after rumors of 'immoral practices' turn an ordinary service into a chaotic public showdown.
- Half-Million Dollar Blaze Destroys Cincinnati Freight Depot
Seattle fire department rushed to the corner of Sixth and Main streets to battle a fire that decimated a major grain and freight warehouse.
- A Tragic Disappearance at the Occidental Hotel
After arriving in Seattle alone, a young woman known as Nellie McNiel left behind a letter claiming she had been seduced, betrayed, and intended to take her own life.
- An Anti-Chinese Assault at the Seattle Waterfront
A group of Chinese laborers is attacked while attempting to depart for Portland, highlighting the escalating racial tensions in the city.
- The Sheriff Who Refused to Enforce Mob Rule
In 1885, as anti-Chinese sentiment gripped Seattle, Sheriff J.H. McGraw defied a mass meeting of local citizens by refusing to join an exclusionary committee, citing his oath of office and the rule of law.