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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 53 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1859 | 6 |
| 1860 | 12 |
| 1861 | 60 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 44 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 10 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 8 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 39 |
| 1884 | 12 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 58 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 218 |
| 1892 | 194 |
| 1893 | 111 |
| 1894 | 19 |
| 1895 | 112 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 24 |
| 1904 | 6 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 95 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 10 |
1,327 stories
- A Call to Oust the 'Corporate Oligarchy' at Olympia
A scathing editorial from the Yakima Democrat accuses the Republican-led legislature of selling out to railroad lobbyists, demanding a political 'deluge' to cleanse the state house.
- The Governor’s 'Health' Trip to California
An editorial questioning whether Governor Ferry's convenient absence from the state was truly medical or a calculated political maneuver to avoid accountability.
- The Spiders of the Rotunda
A look at the professional lobbyists who stalked the halls of the old Washington capitol, turning the state legislature into a theater of influence.
- The State vs. The Sanipractors
Washington officials move to revoke licenses tied to a Seattle university accused of abusing its educational charter.
- The High Cost of Borrowing in Territorial Olympia
An indignant citizen writes to the editor to protest the predatory lending practices bankrupting the territory's early settlers.
- Divorce by Legislation
In the 1861 territorial session, the Washington Legislature became a de facto divorce court, forcing members to adjudicate the intimate failures of local couples.
- The Great Territorial Rifle Scandal
Legislators in the late assembly faced public backlash for voting themselves government-issued military rifles as personal loot.
- Thurston County Rallies for the Union
As the Civil War ignites, Republicans in Olympia gather to declare their loyalty to the Union and choose their delegates for the coming struggle.
- Washington Territory Prepares for Civil War
Acting-Governor Henry M. McGill calls for a territorial militia to defend the Union, a symbolic gesture of loyalty from a frontier thousands of miles from the conflict.
- The Republican Territorial Convention Meets in Olympia
With the shadow of the Civil War looming, Washington Territory Republicans gathered at the Capitol to pledge support for the Union and nominate a delegate to Congress.
- The Political Rumble at the Capitol
Candidates for Congress square off in Olympia as the territory prepares for a heated election season.
- The Territorial Legislature’s Failed Loyalty Pledge
A political standoff in the Washington Territorial Legislature over Union support reveals the region's deep sectional divisions during the Civil War.
- The Union Ticket: Thurston County's 1862 Political Campaign
As the Civil War rages, local political factions organize mass meetings to nominate candidates and define their loyalties in Olympia.
- Olympia Organizes Aid for Civil War Wounded
Prominent citizens gather to create a territorial support network for Union soldiers.
- The Territorial Legislature Deadlocked
In early December 1862, Olympia's legislative session began in disarray, with power struggles over credentials and procedural maneuvering stalling the body's organization.
- The 1863 Legislative Session Wraps Up
A look back at the territorial assembly's busy session, featuring a major overhaul of the legal code, debates over the Idaho statehood movement, and the struggles of members waiting on federal pay.
- Call for Cavalry to Protect the Frontier
Oregon and Washington territory officials seek recruits for an expedition against the Snake Indians.
- The Copperhead Election: A Territory Divided
Following a contentious election, the Washington Standard dissects the narrow defeat of the Union candidate and accuses the opposition of disloyalty.
- Volunteers Needed for the Snake Indian Campaign
A call for enlistment in the Oregon Cavalry to combat indigenous resistance on the frontiers of Washington Territory.
- The 'Motherhood' Suffrage Trap
A satirical bill in the state legislature proposes limiting the vote to mothers, sparking outrage and a sharp-witted response from suffragists.
- The '$11,000 Gold' Sack That Held Only Tire Chains
A suffrage lobbyist carried a bank sack labeled with a fortune through Spokane and Olympia, letting fellow passengers believe she was transporting the campaign fund. It was full of automobile chains.
- A Temperance Bill Debate Turns Into Two Fistfights in Olympia
A Spokane legislator and a Spokane newspaperman trade blows on the House floor over a local-option petition.
- Washington Senate Tries to Ban Election Pledges—After Being 'Buncoed' by the Anti-Saloon League
Lawmakers voted 27 to 11 for a 'freak bill' disqualifying legislators who promise support for bills before election, then added a rider against corporation lawyers. Legal scholars called it unconstitutional.
- Olympia Legislative Chaos
A bitter brawl erupts in the Washington House over a new criminal code, featuring accusations of 'jobbery' and an eleventh-hour ban on private-home gambling.
- Territorial Road Building: Public Duty or Private Profit?
Early Washington legislators debate the morality of state-funded road construction that prioritizes commercial routes over local infrastructure.