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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 1 |
10 stories matching optim
- The Hustle Returns: Seattle’s Economic Pulse Picks Up
After weeks of talking 'hard times,' local merchants report a sudden shift toward optimism and consumer spending.
- The Iron Road Approaches the Sound
Boosterism and optimism as the Northern Pacific Railroad nears completion for through travel to the Pacific.
- The Boom Before the Bust: Seattle’s 1892 Financial Confidence
As the city shakes off the 'dull period' of reckless credit, local bankers and businessmen find newfound optimism in a stable marketplace.
- The Wool Seller’s Thanksgiving: A Farmer’s Wallet Meets Reality
In a moment of pure 1876 optimism, a local farmer bursts into a Seattle restaurant celebrating his wool sale—only to realize that luxury costs more than he thought.
- The Fight for Statehood: A 1882 Pitch for Washington’s Future
Before Washington was a state, its Congressional delegate fought a 'hard fight' to convince Washington D.C. that the territory was ready to join the Union.
- The Birth Pangs of Washington’s Constitution
As the territory prepared for statehood in 1889, the local press scrutinized the new constitution, exposing the tension between civic optimism and the looming shadow of corporate greed.
- The Governor’s Vision: Washington Territory in 1885
A wide-ranging interview with Governor Watson Squire details the rise of the Cascade division of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the economic optimism of a growing frontier.
- The Victorian Quest for the Century Mark
In 1878, Seattleites were offered advice on reaching age 100 through 'tranquility of mind' and the avoidance of potato starch—a stark reminder of the era's medical optimism.
- The Unspoken Cost of Building a Frontier City
A disillusioned man’s search for government work exposes the desperation lurking behind the optimism of 1885 Seattle.
- The Governor’s Dilemma: Can Washington Skip Congress to Become a State?
Territory’s top lawyers clash over whether the Governor can unilaterally call a constitutional convention to bypass federal delays in statehood.