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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 13 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 5 |
36 stories
- The Salmon Strike That Moved an Industry: How Columbia River Fishermen’s Union Priced Themselves Out of Business
In February 1898, a Chicago buyer predicted that the fishermen's demand for higher wages would force salmon canneries to abandon the Columbia River for Alaska—a prediction that came true within a decade.
- The Colossal Graveyard at the Columbia
With seventy-five lives lost to the river's breakers this season alone, local reports condemn the lack of intervention to protect the fishermen.
- The Wild West of Willapa Bay
Tensions boil over as armed citizens and rival officials fight a desperate 'seat war' to determine the county capital.
- South Bend’s Mill Burns While the Hose Company Stays Home
The Willapa Cedar Lumber Company’s mill and dry house burn to the ground; a kerosene-soaked fireball and a short hose supply leave the town reeling.
- The Oyster Trust Comes for Willapa Bay
Oystermen in South Bend fight a Senate amendment that would let a San Francisco corporation keep its grip on Willapa Bay's oyster beds.
- A Desperate Three-Hour Struggle in Willapa Bay
A mother fighting the tides and the wind after her sailboat capsized managed to save both her young children before rescue arrived.
- The Salmon-Trap Border War
Oregon fish officers arrested Washington fishermen for violating a Sunday closure—then found themselves indicted for kidnapping.
- The Sleeping Judges of South Bend
A contest arises in Pacific County after election officials allegedly fell asleep during the vote count.
- Ballot Stuffing Allegations in South Bend
A heated challenge to the results of a Pacific County election alleges voter fraud and negligence after poll workers allegedly slept through the count.
- A Deadly Christmas Eve Dispute in Willapa
A drunken argument over railroad work ended in a shooting at a gravel pit, leaving a respected foreman dead and his killer in jail.
- South Bend Wins Water Frontage Fight
Citizens vote to bond the city to bypass Northern Pacific railroad control of local wharf access.
- The Cranberry Harvest and a Divided Labor Force
A report on the burgeoning Pacific County cranberry industry reveals the reliance on Chinese labor and the exclusionary sentiment of the era.
- Ilwaco Cannerymen Fight the Introduction of Catfish
Local industry experts warn that catfish will destroy the salmon population in Washington waters.
- The Settlers Beat the Railroad
A Pacific County land fight ends in favor of homesteaders after the Northern Pacific tried to claim their township under its indemnity grant.
- A Vote of No Confidence in Willapa Valley
Frustrated taxpayers in Pacific County take a stand against their own local government, demanding the resignation of the county commissioners.
- The Panther of Willapa
A bold mountain lion terrorizes a logging site until a local man takes action.
- The Fight Over the River
Washington's Fish Commissioner clashes with Oregon courts over the right to arrest fishermen on the Columbia River.
- Tragedy in Ilwaco: A Hunting Accident
A 12-year-old boy accidentally kills his younger brother while showing off a gun after a day of hunting.
- A County Seat Fight With More Petition Signers Than Voters
Pacific County commissioners agreed to put the county seat up to a vote — then discovered that South Bend and Sealand had turned in 2,373 signatures from a county with barely 1,500 voters.
- The Great Columbia Salmon Run Was Dying — and Oregon and Washington Couldn't Agree Who Should Save It
In 1894 a Portland memorial to Congress warned that the Chinook were vanishing: a $31.5 million trade, thousands of jobs, and a two-state turf war over who got to regulate the river.
- The Forger Who Could Not Outrun the Telegraph
A determined sheriff tracks a cunning forger from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest by leveraging a new network of law enforcement telegrams.
- The Next Governor Hits the Campaign Trail
Republican gubernatorial candidate John H. McGraw receives a hero’s welcome in the coastal town of Ilwaco during a rain-swept campaign tour.
- Tragedy in Willapa Bay
A sailor vanishes into the wake of a schooner as the industry of the sea demands a heavy price.
- A Ship's Name-Board Washes Ashore 115 Miles From Where the Ivanhoe Went Down
A lighthouse keeper's wife finds the port quarter name-board of a lost coal freighter buried in the sand at Willapa Bay — and a Navy inspector uses the currents to argue the ship foundered far south of Cape Flattery.
- The Water Wars of South Bend
A dispute over local water infrastructure ends with the arrest of a city contractor.