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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 19 |
| 1904 | 845 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1909 | 747 |
1,618 stories
- The Teamsters’ Pay Protest
When city laborers weren't paid for grading Eleventh Street, they threatened legal action against Tacoma, revealing a messy clash between public works and local ordinances.
- The Puyallup Kept Its Dead—and an Old Belief Said It Always Would
A boy drowned in the Puyallup River; his father searched the muddy current in vain, while neighbors recalled an old belief that the river never gives up its dead.
- Interurban Sub-Station Workers Strike Over Pay and Rest
After management cut their days off and refused to increase wages, substation workers on the Tacoma-Seattle line walked off the job, citing hazardous working conditions and isolation.
- Tacoma’s Telephone War: A Council Gridlock Over Modernization
A deadlocked city council clashes over an automatic telephone franchise, pitting progress against the fear of a 'double service' nuisance.
- City Council Splits Over Telephone Franchise
A surprise move to indefinitely postpone the new independent telephone franchise failed in a narrow 9-7 vote, signaling a shift in local utility control.
- A Custody Dispute Turns Into a Near-Brawl
When two children disappear during a divorce proceeding, a hired detective and a father find themselves on the edge of violence.
- Gas Company Workers Walk Out Over Wages
Thirty-one men laying mains in Tacoma’s North End strike after being refused a 25-cent daily raise.
- The Price of a Broken Promise
A young woman in Rosedale takes legal action after her suitor repeatedly puts off their wedding.
- The Great Tacoma Mardi Gras Swindle
A traveling carnival collapses in Tacoma, leaving residents out of pocket and a planned wedding abandoned in the ruins.
- The Sunday Closing War
A grocery store proprietor is the first target in a new legal battle to enforce Sunday closing laws in Tacoma.
- Trolley Derailment Injures Three in South Tacoma
A motorman’s failure to brake on a sharp curve throws passengers from a streetcar platform near 38th and M streets.
- The Pepper War at Josselyn’s
A labor dispute turns ugly as a waiter strikes back against a picket line.
- The City Employment Bureau’s Fight Against Job Scalpers
Tacoma’s municipal employment manager implements a new in-person policy to block local rivals from poaching public job leads.
- The Unwelcome Guest of Old Town
A Norwegian immigrant facing vagrancy charges finds himself sentenced to the street-sweeping squad.
- The Cost of a Bridge Inspection
A protracted dispute over demurrage fees for the Puyallup River bridge reaches a compromise, leaving the contractor in the red.
- The Battle Over Tacoma’s 'Open Town' Policy
Mayor Wright defends his administration against allegations that the city’s restricted district has spiraled into lawlessness, triggering a heated standoff with the City Council.
- Injured Man Sues City Over Sidewalk Maintenance
A pedestrian seeks damages after a fall on a dangerous city sidewalk.
- Vice and the Waterfront: A Business Scandal on A Street
Promoters of the new city dock claim that illicit resorts and gambling dens are scaring away legitimate shippers and passengers.
- Mining Camp Tragedy Near Carbonado
A target practice outing turns lethal when a accidental discharge claims the life of a 50-year-old miner.
- Tacoma’s Crumbling Infrastructure
Public Works Commissioner William Welsh warns that over a dozen city bridges are rotting and unsafe for public travel.
- The City Hall Tug-of-War Over Power
A legal opinion opens the door for a private utility to power a public school, sparking a heated debate over city charter boundaries.
- Tacoma’s Classroom Crisis
Record enrollment leaves the city's school system scrambling for space, with some students relegated to converted woodsheds.
- The Puyallup Sunday Debauch
A weekend of drunken chaos led to the arrest of three saloon keepers for selling liquor to minors and ignoring Sunday closing laws.
- Neighborhood Mobilizes to Block New Saloon
A massive community petition forces the city to deny a liquor license on Tacoma Avenue.
- The Horseless Carriage Conflict
Tacoma motorists face strict new ordinances that force cars to yield to horse-drawn wagons.