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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
- City Left in Dark After Gas Tank Explosion
A major receiving tank failure leaves Tacoma without illuminating gas, forcing citizens and local businesses to scramble for alternatives.
- The City vs. The Railroad King
After two years of political brinkmanship, a local newspaper claims victory in forcing Jim Hill to negotiate for Tacoma's rail expansion.
- City Health Officer Demands Board to Combat Public Ailments
Dr. Sargentleh seeks a formal committee of physicians and a vaccination assistant to address the surge of health mandates in Tacoma schools.
- Mother Rescues Four Children from Raging Clear Lake House Fire
A local mother successfully navigates a burning home to save her children, sustaining painful burns in the process.
- Tacoma Refuses to Pay Water Contractors—and Keeps Building
The city council rejects more than $22,000 in damages from contractors cut out of the Maplewood Springs project, then votes for a new South Tacoma-to-West End pipeline, reservoir and pumping station.
- City Council Faces Backlash Over Civil Service Repeal
Tacoma’s city council attempts to dismantle the civil service system in favor of the old patronage 'spoils' system, sparking an immediate call for voter registration and reform.
- Nine Votes to Kill Civil Service—Tacoma's Council Tries to Gut the Charter
At a special meeting, nine councilmen back a plan to let the mayor fire city workers at will; reformists need to hold two more votes to stop it.
- The Struggle for a Tacoma Grand Jury
After years of bureaucratic stonewalling, a grand jury is finally set to probe corruption within Tacoma’s county government.
- The Legislative Hangover of the Anti-Saloon League
How the obsession with prohibition paralyzed the Tacoma legislature and derailed actual governance.
- Tacoma's Congressman Betrays the People in D.C.
Francis W. Cushman aligns with political bosses, voting against rules that would have allowed for greater congressional transparency and legislative accountability.
- The Battle to Protect Civil Service Reform
Tacoma’s City Council faces a showdown as political machines push to dismantle merit-based municipal hiring.
- The Iron Horse Makes Tacoma its Home
The Great Northern Railroad shifts its western terminus to Tacoma, promising a population boom and shifting the city's status in the eyes of national rail agents.
- City Council Blocks Charter Reform
Tacoma councilmen stall special election for new commission-style government to protect existing political machines.
- Tacoma Citizens Demand Commission Government
Frustrated by the city council's refusal to act, reformers begin a petition drive to force a charter revision election.
- Supreme Court Rules Against Interurban Line in Fatal Collision
A long-standing legal battle concludes as the court upholds an $18,000 judgment for a 1906 tragedy on the interurban line.
- City Hall Capitulates to Charter Reformers
Facing 1,600 petitioners, Tacoma city councilors vote to place commission government proposal on the ballot rather than face a forced election later.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Charter
As the city council calls for a special election to rewrite the municipal charter, citizens are warned to watch for corporate interests looking to hijack the reform movement.
- Voters Reject Park Board’s $750,000 Tax Hike
Tacoma citizens shut down a massive bond proposal, citing a lack of transparency and fears of bureaucratic extravagance.
- The City’s Endless Debt Cycle
Tacoma’s casual approach to borrowing is mortgaging the future.
- The Power War on the White River
A citizen writes to the editor warning that corporate legal battles over water rights could stifle industrial growth for all of Tacoma.
- Who Owns the Waterfront?
A government land office ruling denies the use of Valentine scrip on Tacoma's harbor front, setting a major precedent for municipal control.
- Tacoma's 1904 Election Pits Mayor Against Saloons
As the municipal election approaches, the city finds itself divided between Mayor Campbell’s 'clean' town and George P. Wright’s 'wide open' policy.
- Predatory Lending Against Tribal Land
Legal battle initiates to annul a property deed used as predatory collateral for a small cash loan.
- The Business of City Hall
Mayor-elect George P. Wright promises a new, business-minded administration for a debt-burdened Tacoma.
- Barristers Take the Field for Charity
Tacoma lawyers traded their robes for uniforms to play a baseball game for the benefit of the Roslyn miners.