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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 7 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 14 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 8 |
| 1895 | 9 |
| 1899 | 2 |
| 1903 | 4 |
| 1904 | 11 |
| 1909 | 20 |
99 stories matching develop
- Washington Lawmaker Urges Sale of Puyallup Reservation Land
Representative John L. Wilson argues that the Puyallup reservation hinders Tacoma's industrial growth, proposing the removal of restrictions on land sales to clear the way for white development.
- The Tacoma Land Boom
A glimpse into the feverish property speculation of the 1888 Washington Territory and the intense competition to develop the city's future.
- The Mystery of the Degenerate Wheat
A local doctor presents a strange botanical specimen that challenges the agricultural wisdom of 1859.
- 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.
- The Hop Fever Gripping Puyallup
As hop vines hit 21 inches in the fertile valley, a local developer and hop baron makes big moves to capitalize on the boom.
- The Unpaid Streets of Tacoma
A bitter legal battle reveals the messy, unpaved reality of infrastructure development in late 19th-century Tacoma, pitting laborers against local developers.
- Puyallup Land Sale Proposal Stirs Tacoma Speculators
As Tacoma developers salivated over tribal lands, a prominent Puyallup leader took his case to Washington D.C. to navigate the complex, often predatory, future of his people's property.
- Life and Labor at the Carbon Coal Mines
A look inside the 1878 mining boom in Wilkeson, where company-owned land and rugged infrastructure defined the lives of the workers.
- The Rivalry That Built the Sound
In 1887, C.B. Wright, a key figure in the development of Tacoma, reflects on the 'nip and go' panic that forced the Northern Pacific terminus to choose between Tacoma and Seattle.
- A $2 Million Power Plant Would Harness White River for Tacoma and Seattle
Promoters behind a New Jersey-chartered company plan a Lake Tapps reservoir and a Stuck Valley generator, aiming to power an interurban railroad and industry in Tacoma and Seattle.
- A Tangle Over Tacoma Land
A legal dispute emerges in the southern part of Tacoma over the alleged 'unlawful' development and obstruction of property.
- Condemned Shacks Near Downtown Face Demolition
Building inspector condemns wooden structures at a prime downtown intersection, forcing a transition to modern brick development.
- A Sister's Blood Saves a Brother in Early Transfusion
After a pleurisy operation leaves George Moore hemorrhaging in Tacoma, doctors perform a direct blood transfusion from his sister, binding her wrist to his arm in a desperate bid to save his life.
- The Price of a Subway
Tacoma officials set strict financial terms for a developer hoping to build a subway franchise.
- Typhoid Fears in the West End
Tacoma health officials move to contain a potential outbreak linked to a local milk provider.
- President Hewitt Blasts Tacoma's Water Plant Purchase
Everett developer Hewitt slams Tacoma city officials over the proposed purchase of a water utility, citing graft and excessive bonded debt.
- City Moves to Kill Unused Rail Franchises
Tacoma prepares to revoke streetcar franchise rights that have sat dormant for two decades.
- The Fight for Cheap Labor in the Pacific Northwest
In 1887, prominent Seattle and Tacoma business leaders sat down to argue over the 'necessity' of the Chinese exclusion movement and the future of regional trade.
- The Fight Over the Puyallup Coal Road
A Senate debate exposes the Northern Pacific Railroad's attempt to secure land grants for a coal line under the guise of the Cascade branch.
- Defending Tacoma’s Engineering Foothold
The Chamber of Commerce rallies to stop the federal government from shifting a key engineering office to Seattle.
- Pushing for the Puyallup Reservation Bill
Seattle property owners pressure U.S. Senators to open the Puyallup reservation for development.
- The Candidate Who Wanted Cheap Labor
As Tacoma debated the anti-Chinese movement, a political rival accused Democratic mayoral candidate Alexander Parker of opposing it for a very practical reason: he wanted cheap labor.
- Army Deployed Against Railroad Developers on Puyallup Land
Federal troops are dispatched to the Puyallup Reservation to physically stop a construction party from grading a railroad through Indigenous land.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Plans Tacoma's Expansion
Railroad executives visit to strategize the massive redevelopment of Tacoma's waterfront and terminal infrastructure.
- A Railroad Rumour Makes Tacoma the Western Hub
A dispatch says the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul plans a Pacific Coast line with headquarters in Tacoma and a Seattle branch—and its agents are already buying land near Wenatchee.