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• 1898 ×
• Pierce County ×

1. The Tacoma Oil Rush

   A secret discovery in the heart of the city sparks a high-stakes land deal.

   Mar 2, 1898Adams County NewsTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

2. Washington State Prepares for War

   Governor Rogers calls the National Guard to full strength as tensions mount over Cuba.

   Mar 2, 1898Adams County NewsTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

3. 377,509 Bushels: The Algoa Hauls a Record Wheat Cargo Out of Tacoma

   A single tramp steamer carried the largest grain shipment ever loaded at Tacoma — 500 carloads' worth, a train three miles long — bound for Europe and a handsome profit.

   Jan 1, 1898Ranche and RangeTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

4. They Called the Prairie Worthless. He Planted Wheat Anyway.

   A government immigration inspector bought gravelly land south of Tacoma and proved the skeptics wrong — sixteen bushels an acre of No. 1 hard wheat.

   Feb 5, 1898Ranche and RangeRoy, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

5. A Filthy Milk Trial, a Lenient Judge, and a Convention's Disgust

   The state dairy commissioner lost his Tacoma case against two milkmen whose cows were caked in manure — and the delegates wanted to know what kind of milk the judge kept on his own table.

   Jan 8, 1898Ranche and RangeTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

6. A Cannery Comes Courting Puyallup Valley

   Chicago investors scout the valley’s fruit crop, eye the old Pacific Meat Company building, and dangle $1,000 for a bridge at Sumner.

   Jul 23, 1898Ranche and RangePuyallup, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

7. The Berry Math That Made Puyallup

   A fruit-growers' manager laid out the 1898 economics of Western Washington berries: $1 a crate, 75-cent hired labor, and a cannery on the horizon.

   Jul 16, 1898Ranche and RangePuyallup Valley, Puyallup, Pierce CountyWork & Pay

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