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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 101 |
| 1883 | 537 |
| 1884 | 336 |
| 1885 | 624 |
| 1886 | 395 |
| 1887 | 350 |
2,343 stories
- The Final Voyage of the St. Stephen
Tragedy strikes the Pacific Northwest as a beloved vessel goes missing in a violent storm, leaving a city in mourning.
- The Weight of Reasonable Doubt in Early Seattle
A century and a half ago, a Washington judge meticulously laid out the standard of proof for a murder trial, reminding the jury that a man’s life hung not on suspicion, but on evidence.
- King County's Missing $61,000: Treasurer Accused of Embezzlement
A committee's report reveals that former County Treasurer George D. Hill is indebted to King County for over $61,000; the board orders legal action against him and his bondsmen.
- The Defiant Board of Registration
When the Supreme Court of Washington Territory ruled against women’s suffrage in 1887, Seattle officials openly revolted, ordering women to register for the upcoming city election anyway.
- The Great Tax Assessment Mess of 1887
Seattle and King County property owners find their tax rolls hopelessly entangled in errors, leaving public officials to question if the entire assessment should be scrapped.
- The Day the Floor Collapsed at the Revivals
A two-story church in Seattle, serving as a school on its lower floor, gave way under the weight of a crowd, resulting in a thirteen-foot plunge and multiple severe injuries.
- The Broken Promise of the University
A bitter civic dispute over why the territorial university moved from Port Townsend to Seattle, revealing 19th-century political maneuvering and broken handshakes.
- The Dark Secrets of the 'Bird Family' Murder Mystery
A courtroom in Seattle turns into a theater of intrigue as a defendant’s confession unspools a web of coerced insurance policies, secret letters, and cold-blooded greed.
- Tragedy on the Sammamish Slough
A mother survives a boat accident that claimed the life of her four-year-old son near a logging camp.
- Border Hurdles for New Arrivals
Customs officials confront a backlog of Chinese passengers arriving without proper certification.
- The Feds Crack Down on Land Fraud
A new circular from the General Land Office warns settlers that 'speculation' is illegal and will be met with criminal prosecution.
- Tragic Horse-Kick Claims Life of Youth
Nineteen-year-old Hiram Hamilton is killed instantly in a freak accident while tending horses at his father’s barn.
- The Coal Wealth of the Cascades
Vast mining operations in Carbonado and Newcastle drive the regional economy and fuel the push for new transcontinental rail connections.
- The First Direct Shipment from China
The arrival of the American ship Mercury in Puget Sound signals the start of a massive new trade route.
- The Push for Washington Statehood
While Washington Territory eyes the Union, local leaders debate whether to wait for Congress or force the issue.
- City Council Launches Investigation into Police Judge
Corruption allegations involving the 'bartering' of justice lead to a formal probe by Seattle officials.
- Federal Crackdown on Washington Territory Land Grabs
General Land Office Commissioner launches a sweeping investigation into corrupt land entries.
- City Hall vs. The Legislature: A Fight for Local Control
An editorial challenges the legality of the Washington Territorial Legislature appointing members to the Seattle City Council.
- The Lure of the West: A Pioneer’s Review of the New Frontier
An old-timer returns from an Eastern tour to report on the state of the Northern Pacific line and the promise of the Washington Territory.
- Railroads Fight Taxes on 40 Million Acres
A Chicago editorial rips into railroads for claiming massive land tracts while dodging local taxes, warning that the territory is being sold into corporate feudalism.
- A 12-Year-Old Injured at a Seattle Shingle Mill
A twelve-year-old boy, working to support his widowed mother, is killed in a tragic mill accident in Seattle.
- The Fight for Seattle's Unearned Land
A fiery mass meeting in Seattle erupts over the Northern Pacific Railway's grip on public lands.
- The Fight for the Land Grant
Citizens demand Congress strip the Northern Pacific Railroad of its massive, unearned land holdings.
- The Fight to Reclaim Railroad Lands
A lobbyist writes from Washington, D.C., on the progress of a bill to forfeit Northern Pacific land grants and restore them to the public domain.
- Seattle and King County Protest Railroad Land Claims
Citizens and local officials successfully force federal review of land-grant claims and the legitimacy of the Puyallup coal road.