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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 101 |
| 1883 | 537 |
| 1884 | 336 |
| 1885 | 624 |
| 1886 | 395 |
| 1887 | 350 |
2,343 stories
- The Unraveling of Lee Wa Poo
A Chinese man’s descent into mental distress in Renton ends in his arrest and public pathologization.
- The Perilous Daily Commute at the Cedar River Mines
For miners in a remote Seattle-area coal camp, getting to work meant risking their lives on makeshift bridges and slippery footlogs, all to feed their families.
- The City's Ladder Was Too Short
When the volunteer fire company staged a demonstration at Frye's Opera House, the Mayor found the equipment wanting—and the resulting public spat was published in full.
- The Battle Over Sidewalks: When Seattle's Poor Were Forced to Pay for Progress
In 1885, a divided City Council grappled with whether to tax struggling residents for public infrastructure or use the city's general fund.
- The Powder Barrel Scandal: Seattle’s City Council vs. The Police Chief
A fiery public dispute over missing dynamite and unauthorized absences exposes deep friction in the Seattle city government of 1885.
- The Chief of Police, The Saloon, and The Impeachment
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council moved to impeach Chief of Police James H. Woolery for allegedly turning a blind eye to unlicensed saloons and failing to enforce the law.
- When the Titans of Industry Came to Seattle
In 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.
- The Political Brawl of 1885
As Seattle prepared for a high-stakes municipal election, a chaotic 'Business Men’s' rally struggled to gain traction against the reformist 'Law and Order' movement, exposing deep class and moral divides in the young city.
- The Political Battle for Seattle's Streets
In an era of rapid growth, a fiery campaign rally at the Yesler Opera House debates the role of moral policing, the cost of city administration, and the integrity of municipal elections.
- The Tragedy at the Gold Bar Hotel
A young worker’s lonely death in a Seattle hotel room reveals the harsh, often isolated reality of life for laborers in the 1880s.
- The 1883 Classroom Reform
Before the public school system in Washington was fully established, teachers gathered in a Seattle church to debate the future of education, temperance, and the radical idea of 'character' over rote memorization.
- The Sanitary Crisis of 1885
Dr. J. M. W. Hedges demands immediate action on open cesspools, raw sewage, and the 'lodging house' filth threatening the health of early Seattle.
- The Jury That Saw No News
Confined for ten days during the anti-Chinese riots of 1885, a sequestered jury was kept in the dark about the city’s upheaval—until they caught a stray remark about New York politics.
- The Tragedy of the Forgotten Pallet
Police discover the body of a man in a squalid Seattle boarding spot, highlighting the grim conditions faced by laborers in a rapidly growing, exclusionary city.
- The Great Carp Distribution of 1885
A federal fish car arrived in Seattle from Washington D.C., sparking a city-wide frenzy as residents rushed to claim their share of a new, 'hardy' species.
- The City That Outgrew Its Rivals
An 1885 dispatch from the front lines of the Seattle boom describes a town shedding its humble roots and leaving former neighbors like Steilacoom in the dust.
- The Tragedy of a Dedicated Seattle Fireman
A young, well-regarded member of the fire department dies suddenly, highlighting the personal toll of civic service in 1886 Seattle.
- The Miner’s Dignity: When Newcastle Stood Against the Clock
A tense standoff at the Newcastle coal mines reveals the human cost of industrial efficiency and a worker's refusal to be 'watched like a slave.'
- The Runaway Street Car on Battery Street
When the brakes failed on a steep Seattle incline, passengers faced a terrifying ride as their horse-drawn car hurtled down the tracks toward the waterfront.
- The Boy Who Tried to Buy His Mother’s Freedom
When his mother was jailed for a minor offense, a seven-year-old Seattle boy arrived at the police station with two dollars and a heart-wrenching plea to take her place in the cell.
- The Piano Player and the Martial Law Mob
When the U.S. Army imposed martial law in 1886 Seattle to restore order amid anti-Chinese riots, one piano player decided to publicly heckle the 'murderers' in uniform.
- The Price of Vigilantism Under Martial Law
While Seattle remained under military control during the 1886 anti-Chinese riots, a local soldier faced court-martial for an unauthorized raid on a business, highlighting the rigid enforcement of order in a city on the edge.
- The Tragic End of a Hotelier
A well-known Seattle ship captain and hotel proprietor dies after a fatal overdose of morphine intended to ease his suffering.
- Hardship and Deception at the Cascade Tunnel
Laborers arriving at the Northern Pacific site find empty promises, cold conditions, and a 'regular gouging' by company management.
- The 'Wild Man' of the Snoqualmie Valley
For weeks, settlers between Seattle and Snoqualmie reported sightings of a mysterious, hair-covered creature in the woods, only for the enigma to be solved when a starving immigrant was discovered.