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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 Promised City on the Sound
Promoters in 1879 painted a utopian vision of New Tacoma, promising a perfectly planned metropolis designed for wealth and grandeur at the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Boomtown Hype of 1870s Tacoma
A booster-style editorial from the Snohomish Eye argues for a direct shipping route to New Tacoma to bypass Seattle's influence.
- The Ghost of the Puyallup Valley
A traveling account reveals a local man's elaborate deception, as his supposedly dead family is found alive and well at the Puyallup station.
- The Opium Barrel That Shook Tacoma
A mislabeled shipment of 'sour krout' hides a fortune in smuggled drug, marking the largest seizure in the port's history.
- The Drunkard’s Fortune: Tacoma Bank Takes Over $1,100 from an Inebriate
In a stark display of 19th-century temperance law, Officer Frank Cavanagh has declared wealthy Tacoma man Michael Murphy legally incompetent due to alcoholism, depositing his cash into the bank for 'safekeeping.'
- The Tacoma Contractor Who Vanished With the Cash
A prominent builder disappears, leaving behind a trail of debt, rumors of an elopement, and a city looking for answers.
- The Rowdy Landlords of Ninth and Elph
A morning disturbance at a Tacoma boarding house reveals a volatile scene when a constable attempts to serve an arrest warrant.
- Coal Fall Paralyzes Wilkeson Mine Loader Thomas Smith
A coal mine loader suffers a devastating, life-altering injury on the job, highlighting the brutal risks faced by labor in late 19th-century Washington.
- Tragedy at Artondale: A Worker Maimed by Dynamite
A laborer near Tacoma is left sightless and near death after a stump-clearing accident goes wrong.
- The Fight for Transparent Government
A Tacoma citizen challenges the centralization of power in Washington’s early governance, warning against the 'mercenary' influence of political rings and trusts.
- The Narrow Escape of Tacoma
A painting shop blaze threatened to raze a downtown block, but a fast-acting fire department and a bit of luck spared the city from a worse catastrophe.
- The Great Firemen's Brawl of 1889
A regional firefighting tournament in Tacoma dissolved into a chaotic dispute over prize money, accused dictators, and local pride, forcing Seattle firemen to offer a do-over on home turf.
- The Rent Crisis of 1891: Tacoma Merchants at a Breaking Point
As local business owners faced a contracting economy and 'money stringency,' the Chamber of Commerce debated whether high commercial rents and utility costs were driving them toward insolvency.
- The Governor’s Dilemma: The Hand-Me-Down Prison
When Washington became a state, the federal government tried to offload the McNeil Island Penitentiary and its prisoners to state control—but Governor Elisha Ferry wasn't having it.
- The Business of the Ballpark: Baseball's Early Labor Disputes in the Northwest
In 1891, the Pacific Northwest Baseball League met in Tacoma to institute strict player contracts and salary caps, signaling the end of the 'wild west' era of professional athletics in Washington.
- The Shadowed Streets of Old Tacoma
A late-night robbery on Jefferson Street leaves a local man penniless and sparks public outrage over a surge in city crime.
- Tacoma Votes to Expand City Infrastructure
Citizens approve a massive bond issue to fund a new City Hall and retire outstanding warrants.
- Ejected from the train and left to freeze
Two men sue the Northern Pacific Railway for $20,000 after being thrown into the woods without tickets.
- The Midnight Thief on the Steamer Isabel
A passenger loses her entire fortune while dining, sparking a tense confrontation and a failed pursuit of justice on the Sound.
- The Sudden Collapse of the Tacoma Savings Bank
A run on a local bank reveals the fragile economy of 1885 Tacoma as depositors rush to pull their funds before the doors shutter for good.
- The Scandinavian Baptist Mission of Tacoma
A clergyman finds his calling, converts his congregation, and establishes a new church after a spiritual crisis leads him away from his former denomination.
- The Struggle for a Green River Road
Settlers in the isolated Green River valley are fighting for a direct road to Seattle, claiming the Northern Pacific Railroad is trying to isolate them to siphon their trade to other towns.
- The Midnight Church Feud of Tacoma
A power struggle in a local Baptist church turns into a bizarre, locked-door standoff where the pastor eventually resorted to extinguishing the lights to force dissenters out.
- The Price of a Drunken Brawl
Two men were fined and held for trial after a violent, alcohol-fueled assault on a passerby outside Seattle.
- The Tragedy at the Waterfront
A young Seattle woman's late-night walk leads to a fatal plunge into the bay, leaving behind a grieving husband and a city searching for answers.