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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 3 |
| 1858 | 13 |
| 1859 | 27 |
| 1860 | 6 |
| 1861 | 6 |
| 1863 | 5 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 11 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 12 |
| 1879 | 5 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 56 |
| 1884 | 25 |
| 1885 | 43 |
| 1886 | 26 |
| 1887 | 70 |
| 1888 | 34 |
| 1889 | 76 |
| 1890 | 6 |
| 1891 | 48 |
| 1892 | 267 |
| 1893 | 263 |
| 1894 | 243 |
| 1895 | 182 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 30 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 64 |
| 1904 | 848 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 758 |
| 1910 | 5 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1916 | 9 |
| 1917 | 5 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 2 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 1 |
3,195 stories
- The Fatal Lock: A Mother’s Visit, a Father’s Work, and Two Children Burned Alive
In January 1893, a house fire at the Kinyon mills in Tacoma claimed the lives of two young children left alone inside. The tragedy highlights a grim era where child safety was often secondary to labor demands.
- The Trial That Shook Tacoma: The Scandal of Sadie Brantner and Judge Wickersham
A dramatic courtroom battle in the late 1880s reveals a web of sexual politics, professional ethics, and character assassination involving a prominent probate judge and a young woman accused of immorality.
- The Day the Wharves Froze: Tacoma’s Lumber Workers Strike Over Wage Cuts
In March 1890, dockworkers at Tacoma’s massive timber mills walked off the job when owners slashed their monthly pay from $60 to $45. The resulting gridlock piled lumber so high it brought the entire industry to a halt.
- Tragedy in Tacoma: The Sudden Collapse of a New Building
A newly constructed building on Tacoma Avenue falls, leaving the community reeling and survivors in critical condition.
- The Strange Confession of Henry Lattimore
After the murder of C. Grant in a Tacoma boarding house, a 19-year-old drifter with a 'straightforward' story was captured by rail workers and police.
- The Tragedy at the Drug Store
A quiet night at a Tacoma pharmacy ends in a shocking murder-suicide, leaving the community reeling and a clerk fighting for his life.
- The Governor Who Stood Between Corporations and the Workingman
When railroads threatened to use militia to break a strike in 1873, Governor Elisha Ferry refused to deploy state power until the laborers were paid, carving out a legendary reputation for fairness.
- The Great Squatter Takeover of 1891
A landmark court ruling in Tacoma triggered a chaotic, overnight land grab as hundreds of squatters claimed property near the city's residential core.
- The Human Cost of the Des Moines Boom
A tragic suicide in Tacoma exposes the devastating toll of speculative real estate schemes.
- Who Owns the Reservation Land?
An elder of the Puyallup tribe speaks on the controversy regarding non-tribal descendants claiming reservation land allotments.
- The Tragedy on Trestle No. 4
A father's desperate attempt to walk his children to safety during a heavy snowstorm ends in a devastating train accident on the outskirts of Tacoma.
- The City’s Legal Train Wreck
A ruling against Tacoma’s property tax scheme for street improvements threatens to bankrupt local progress, leaving the city in a legislative stalemate.
- The Rogue Marshal of Tacoma
Citizens formally impeach the City Marshal for cozying up to brothel owners and ignoring the law.
- The Fight for Puyallup: A Last-Minute Land Grab
Before leaving office, Interior Secretary Teller attempted to block land titles for the Puyallup people, favoring the expansion of a local corporation.
- The Tragedy on Meridian Street
A double murder-suicide in Tacoma marks a violent end for a couple married just three months.
- The Price of a Puyallup Valley Land War
A long-standing dispute over a donation land claim ends in a deadly shooting on a farm near Sumner.
- Fatal Forest Hazard Claims Life Near South Prairie
A falling tree at a railroad contractor's camp kills one worker and injures eight others, exposing the perilous conditions of logging near forest fires.
- The Shadow of the Anti-Chinese Movement in Puyallup
A local meeting of citizens and the Sheriff turns into a mass swearing-in of deputy sheriffs as anti-Chinese agitation reaches a fever pitch.
- The Great Land Grab: 1886 Democracy vs. The Northern Pacific
At the 1886 Democratic Territorial Convention in Tacoma, delegates launched a blistering critique against the Northern Pacific Railroad for failing its promises and seizing public lands meant for settlers.
- When the Law Stops the City
A judicial ruling in Tacoma paralyzes street improvements, sparking a bitter feud between city officials and property owners.
- The Pen Is Mightier Than the Pistol
A Tacoma newspaper editor survives a point-blank assassination attempt after writing a stinging column about a local rival's reputation.
- The Jailer’s Trust: A Domestic Tragedy in Tacoma
A prisoner allowed a day-pass to visit his wife leaves behind a trail of blood and a horrific crime scene after a fit of uncontrollable jealousy.
- Fatal Brawl Over a Billiard Game in Puyallup
A wealthy Puyallup man is dead after a dispute in a saloon leads to a violent, racially charged assault.
- The Great Tacoma Land Grab
A brazen scheme to seize valuable city land by falsely labeling it a 'gold mine' has finally been defeated in court.
- The Millions Buried in Puyallup Indian Land
A government report reveals the staggering valuation of tribal lands near Tacoma, sparking a 19th-century struggle over ownership, development, and the protection of Indigenous sovereignty against encroaching white expansion.