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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 41 |
| 1891 | 42 |
| 1892 | 32 |
| 1893 | 108 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 112 |
359 stories
- The Stone Capitol Olympia Was Promised
Architect Ernest Flagg says the foundation is finished and bids are about to go out for a fireproof statehouse—one built to last, if the legislature will pay for it.
- The Chain-Gang’s Shovel Symphony
In the heart of Olympia, a group of convicts turned Pacific Avenue into their personal construction site, wielding pickaxes and shovels with obstinate pride.
- The Great Puget Sound Whale Hunt
An unexpected visitor in the waters between Olympia and Shelton leads to a high-pressure pursuit by a local steamer.
- The Secret Elopement of Olympia
Defying parental orders and a bitter feud, a young couple flees their hometown to be married.
- The Fight to Ban Boxing in 1891 Washington
As the state legislature considered a sweeping crackdown on 'prizefighting' in 1891, the proposed law sparked debate over what constitutes public violence versus private athletic exercise.
- Seattle and Tacoma Nearly Came to Blows Over the Ship Canal
At the 1892 Democratic state convention, King County's demand for a canal plank turned the floor into a shouting mob — and the vote flipped twice in a single night.
- King County Democrats Revolt: 'I Am King County's Candidate, Not Her Betrayer'
At the Democratic state convention in Olympia, an anti-King County plank sparked outrage among Seattle delegates, who vowed to stand by their home. The convention ended in disarray, nominating an unknown candidate after a night's search and predicting certain defeat.
- The Art of the Legislative Dodge
A blistering political attack on a gubernatorial candidate accused of cowardice and 'dodging' his duties in the state house.
- The Political Shifting of Mr. Snively
An editorial critique of a legislator known for avoiding tough votes and ducking public responsibility.
- Washington’s New Governor Takes the Oath in Olympia
A military parade and a grand inaugural ball marked the start of John H. McGraw’s term as governor of the Evergreen State.
- Clergyman Detained for Extradition
A minister faces serious criminal charges in Washington state as authorities move to detain him in British Columbia.
- Gov. McGraw Opens the State Road Convention at Olympia
Delegates from every county gather in the capital to plan a statewide campaign for better roads — and to demand that the political parties finally take up internal improvements.
- The Fight Over Washington's Capitol: A Governor, a Professor and a Press War
As the state's new capitol building is designed, Seattle and Tacoma papers pound the selection commission with charges of favoritism — and Gov. McGraw's defenders fire back.
- The Governor Wins His Battle for the Capitol Board
The state supreme court rules that Governor McGraw acted within his legal authority to oust commissioner John McReavy.
- The Spanking That Became a Fugitive Hunt
Allen Weir says a child-discipline complaint in Olympia was magnified into a criminal manhunt — and he wants the public to hear his side.
- Olympia Wakes Up: Subpoenas, Telegraph Rates and a Suffrage Amendment
The 1895 Washington legislature moved from political strife to lawmaking, passing investigative subpoena power and jury reform while introducing bills to cap telegraph tolls, save Columbia salmon and give women the vote.
- Who Controls Washington's Tide Flats? A Sweeping Land Bill Lands in Olympia
A new Senate measure would strip power from county appraisers and put the state's school, tide, shore and harbor lands under one powerful board—starting with Seattle's waterfront.
- The State vs. the 'Gigantic Octopus': Washington Votes to Print Its Own Schoolbooks
Olympia's senate passes a bill making Washington a textbook publisher, selling spellers and readers to children at cost to break the American Book Company's grip — 27 to 4.
- A Law to Protect Debtors — or Scare Off Every Lender?
Washington's legislature passed the 'judgment deficiency bill' to shield mortgage debtors from ruinous foreclosures. The Portland Oregonian read it as a recipe for a credit freeze, and begged the governor to veto it.
- The Judge Nobody Saw Coming
Governor McGraw stuns Olympia's legal establishment by appointing T. M. Reed Jr. to the Thurston County bench—just before a bar committee can protest.
- Who Should Judge? Washington’s New Jury Law Under Fire
A Seattle paper defends a legislative overhaul that ended the professional juror and required jurors to be householders, as critics charged it handed the courtroom to property owners.
- A Record-Breaking Excursion to the Capital
A crowded steamer makes a record run from Seattle to Olympia, straining the capital's housing capacity.
- The Mystery of the Vanished Donation Claim
Thurston County officials try to purchase a poor farm, only to discover the original land claim may never have been finalized.
- The Bureaucratic Fight Over Death and Birth
A standoff between Washington state health officials and local physicians over whether doctors should be required to report vital statistics without pay.
- Bucoda’s Coal Company Runs to the Courthouse
A Thurston County coal company secures a receiver in Olympia while creditors race to court, including a claim on a note originally given to pay workers’ wages.