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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 53 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 6 |
| 1860 | 12 |
| 1861 | 58 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 44 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 35 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 57 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 212 |
| 1892 | 184 |
| 1893 | 105 |
| 1894 | 17 |
| 1895 | 111 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 94 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 10 |
1,280 stories
- Olympia Loses the Capitol: A Letter Writer Predicts the Seat of Government Will Move to Vancouver
A Steilacoom correspondent gloats that Olympia's 'mandarins' overplayed their hand in the territorial legislature — and that the $30,000 Congress set aside for a capitol building will sit unspent while the prize drifts south.
- The Mortgage Freeze of 1897
New state legislation intended to protect farmers from foreclosure has inadvertently choked off agricultural lending.
- The Deal That Broke a Senator: Allen's Surrender to King County
Ex-Governor Moore recounts the pressure campaign that turned Senator John B. Allen from his allies and toward the King County faction—an insider's tale of patronage, loyalty and betrayal in Washington's early state politics.
- The Engineer Who Says Olympia Stiffed Him for Sewer Plans
A civil engineer hired to draft Olympia’s sewers says the city accepted his $700 bid, starved him of data, then canceled his contract and paid another man $1,500 for plans he calls a public nuisance.
- Suffragists Meet in Olympia as the Ballot Fight Goes to the Supreme Court
The Washington Equal Suffrage Association gathers at Tacoma Hall to choose national delegates—and to find new lawyers for a case that could decide whether women vote.
- Two Weeks In, Still No Senator: Olympia's Republicans Tire of the Ankeny Fight
The legislature has been in session a fortnight and Washington still has no United States senator. A colleague's insulting letter blows up, the Wilson and Allen camps fold, and a caucus is called to force the thing to an end.
- The $35 Fee That Became $335: Insurance Commissioner Schively's Sliding Scale
Olympia investigators say J. H. Schively charged newly organized insurance companies whatever they would bear—then kept the difference. With 75 companies heard from and $8,000 in excess fees alleged, the evidence is headed to the governor.
- Acquitted by His Own Senate, and the Governor Says the People Will Judge Him
Washington's insurance commissioner beat all twelve impeachment charges on a 14-to-26 vote. Governor Hay called it a violation of the senators' oaths — and handed the case to the voters.
- A Unanimous Vote to Push Women Out of the Beer Halls
The Washington House backed a bill barring women from working anywhere intoxicating liquor was sold—aimed at waitresses and 'beer rulers' in variety theaters and saloons.
- When 'He' Also Meant 'She'
A uniform school bill ended legal doubts about women serving as county superintendents and school directors—and ordered that masculine pronouns in the school law include women.
- Who Pays for the Streets That Boost Land Values?
A taxpayer objects as Olympia considers borrowing from the general fund to cover private street-grading debts in distant additions.
- The Senate Says Yes to Women’s Suffrage—For Now
A constitutional amendment to let women vote cleared the Washington Senate with 21 votes and 9,450 petition signatures, but a reconsideration motion threatened to undo it.
- Tacoma Tries to Halt the State Capitol
Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce calls Olympia's new capitol a waste in hard times, but lawmakers vote down a bill to stop the work.
- Twenty-One Land Claims, One Pennsylvania Syndicate, and a Fraud Hearing in Olympia
Federal agents say twenty-one Satsop River entries were fraudulently made for an out-of-state syndicate; the contest is being heard in Olympia’s land office.
- The Fund That Grew While the Injured Went Hungry
Washington's 1911 workmen's compensation law was meant to protect the men who built the state. A decade later, the lumber industry was paying less into the accident fund than ever — and injured workers were getting a fraction of what the cost of living demanded.
- The San Juan Island Forgery: A Soldier’s Scam and a Territorial Cover-Up
In the tense weeks of the Pig War standoff, a U.S. Army sergeant allegedly forged paymaster certificates to steal $1,604 from a local man in Olympia, sparking a legal battle that exposed corruption within the military ranks.
- Olympia’s Blackest Day: A City on the Brink of Ruin
A recent fire in the state capital exposes the desperate need for modern water works and steam engines, as Olympia’s leadership warns that 'any morning may see the balance of the city in ruins.'
- The Great Olympia Real Estate Boom: 'Only a Question of Time'
As the capital city experiences a frenzy of property sales and predicts its future as a metropolis powered by Turnwater Falls, locals debate whether the boom is sustainable or just hype.
- The People vs. The Senators: Washington’s Bold Demand for Direct Democracy
In a rare moment of unity, the state legislature sends a powerful message to Congress: stop letting politicians pick your senators. It’s time for the people to vote.
- The Shortage Scandal: County Officials Missing Funds
A wave of missing funds across Washington Territory has exposed several deputies and treasurers as they slip away, leaving empty accounts in their wake.
- An Insurance Scandal on the Seattle Waterfront
After his steamer burned to the waterline, a captain takes to the newspapers to publicly shame the insurance companies refusing to pay his claim.
- The Clambake at Olympia: A Congressman’s Final Days
Journalist Charles Prosch recalls the Pacific Northwest visit of Representative James Brooks, whose brilliant career ended in a disgrace that haunts political history.
- The Political Battle for Washington’s Future
As Republicans rally in Olympia, party leaders McGraw and Winston defend their state financial management and launch sharp attacks against the rising Populist movement.
- Fifteen Ballots and a Dark Horse
A deadlocked Washington House turns to Whitman County's J. Arrasmith after Democrats and reform Republicans break the 1893 speakership fight.
- The Senatorial Deadlock at the Statehouse
Lawmakers in Olympia struggle to choose a U.S. Senator amidst party fractures and geographical rivalries.