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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 421 |
| 1877 | 288 |
| 1878 | 80 |
| 1880 | 80 |
869 stories
- The Great Railway Pipe Dream
A century and a half ago, speculators and dreamers were already busy mapping out the future of Seattle's rail lines and debating the superiority of Puget Sound over Canadian ports.
- The Pioneer Farmer Who Wanted to Represent King County
In the lead-up to the 1870 election, the local press championed a practical farmer from the Black River valley to bring common sense to government.
- The Day the 'Worst Boy' in Seattle Found His Voice
In an 1876 schoolhouse, a song about 'John Brown' acts as a social intervention to curb the disruptive behavior of a local child.
- The 'Hulless' Oat Promise of 1876
An early Seattle entrepreneur touted a revolutionary 'agricultural wonder' grain, promising local farmers a harvest that outperformed wheat with half the labor.
- The Tale of the Mule and the Chain Gang
A tragicomic local account of a man's final, ill-fated encounter with a stubborn mule while attempting to evade the law.
- The Perils of the Victorian Parlor
A late-night rumination on the changing customs of romance in 1876 Seattle, where the 'exclusive' courting of young lovers in the family home was already starting to baffle the older generation.
- The Magic of Christmas in Pioneer Seattle
A glimpse into 1876 holiday traditions, from elaborate 'Fairy Land' church displays to the grab-box giveaways that defined the season for the city's children.
- The Unseasonable Winter Flowers of 1877
A boastful look at Seattle's climate resilience in the face of mid-winter blooms.
- The New Spirit of Front Street
As Seattle's wholesale economy matures in the 1870s, a new firm moves into the Pontius Building to cut out the San Francisco middleman.
- Raising the Barn: A Frontier Memory
A look back at the communal labor and rough-and-tumble celebrations that defined building a new life in early Washington Territory.
- The Ghost of Third and Pike
A Seattle resident recounts a chilling, post-mortem promise kept by a friend who returned from the beyond to answer questions about a late-arriving train.
- The Navy’s Useless Burden: A 1877 Critique of American Militarism
An editorial from the Seattle Intelligencer questions why the U.S. maintains a naval force, arguing that defense of the continent makes overseas armadas obsolete and economically damaging.
- The Wharfinger's Reward: A Real Estate Gift from Henry Yesler
In an era of rising industrial ambition, Seattle's pioneer mogul Henry Yesler gifted four prime city lots to his longtime wharf manager as a gesture of gratitude.
- The Jail-Breaking Drunkard of 1877
A rowdy arrest in Seattle leads to a display of destruction inside the city lockup.
- The Boat Thief at the Jail Door
A suspected thief stolen from Tacoma is apprehended in Seattle, leading to a tense struggle at the threshold of the local jail.
- The Bartender Who Saved a Life
A skeptical Seattle saloon keeper prevents a man from swallowing a mysterious powder, leading to a strange and poignant discovery.
- Brutal Attack on Seattle Gas Worker
A workman assaulted by a gang of drunken sailors in front of a local hotel, marking a tense night in the city's rougher quarters.
- The Midnight Memory Lapse of a Seattle Husband
A husband’s errand to the druggist turns into a long, forgetful night at the local saloon, until a sudden telegraph dispatch snaps him back to reality.
- The Brickyard Expansion: Fueling Seattle's Rapid Growth
As Seattle transitioned from a frontier outpost to a developing city, a local businessman secured a four-year lease on the city's primary brickyard to meet the surging demand for permanent construction materials.
- The Territorial Standoff on the Clothesline
A suburban Seattle squabble over laundry, reputation, and the prying eyes of the neighborhood in 1878.
- The Infant Glee Club of 1878
Before the city’s grand theaters were established, a neighborhood girl organized Seattle’s first children’s choir in her mother’s parlor.
- The Ghost Caboose of Seattle
A high-wind storm sends a riderless train car hurtling down the tracks in a moment of unexpected local drama.
- The Great Migration to the Pacific Northwest
An old pioneer of the Washington Territory returns from Iowa, leading a massive train of hundreds of wagons toward the growing settlements of the Puget Sound.
- The High-Stakes Rivalry of the Seattle Racetrack
After a controversial 'dead heat' left spectators threatening violence, two local favorites prepare for a definitive $150 rematch.
- The Persistent Pest in the Parlor
A classic 1878 dispatch on the 'improved' book agent who swears he never bothers anyone—right before being forcibly ejected into the street.