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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
- A Chinese Mission School Opens in an Old Olympia Schoolhouse
Eleven Chinese men attended the first meeting of a Presbyterian Sunday-school mission on Fifth Street, where, according to the Church News, several quickly learned the alphabet.
- The High Price of Speculation
Real estate owners in 1872 Olympia are holding vacant lots hostage, refusing to sell or lease, effectively strangling the city's economic growth.
- The Caterpillar Ordinance: Olympia’s War on Woodland Pests
In a rare display of municipal power in 1871, the Olympia City Council passed an ordinance giving residents one week to burn infested trees or face fines and forced destruction by the Marshall.
- The 'Witty' Baritone of Olympia
A skeptical newspaper editorial skewers a local social columnist for romanticizing a drunken political gathering at the state capital.
- 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 Legislature Votes Itself a Territorial Rifle
In a moment of classic political opportunism, the Council passes a measure granting every member a firearm at public expense.
- The Standard’s Call to Arms
An editorial lays out a definitive Unionist platform on the eve of civil war, arguing that the Republic must be preserved at any cost.
- The Town That 'Resorted to Flat-Boats'
A skeptical writer from Walla Walla mocked Olympia’s tide-swept landscape, prompting a sharp, defensive retort from the local editor.
- The Great Bed-Sheet Debate
Legislators in Olympia waste the public's time by bickering over the legal length of hotel linens.
- The Art of Professional Loafing
A satirical exchange in the Olympia Democratic about the 'Loafer Club' and the perils of career advice in the frontier.
- The Ghost Fleet of the Pacific
Senator William Gwin rails against the government's refusal to fund military presence in the Pacific, leaving the coast vulnerable to 'filibusters' and privateers.
- The Temperance Movement Comes to the Territory
A new petition arrives in Olympia calling for the total prohibition of liquor sales in the Washington Territory.
- The Cynical Toll of Local Politics
A satirical diary of a man who wins a nomination for public office, only to be ruined by the exorbitant financial and social demands of his supporters.
- Designing the Washington Territory Seal
An early proposal for the official seal that featured a log cabin, a settler’s wagon, and the Chinook jargon word 'Alki'.
- Olympia Declares War on Loose Hogs
A newly passed town ordinance empowers the Marshall to seize and auction off any swine wandering through the streets of Olympia north of Union Street.
- A Letter to a Lost Candidate
A ten-year-old girl writes to Hon. H. J. Snively following his election defeat, offering support and expressing the political allegiances of a young Democrat.
- 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 Prohibition of Alcohol Trade with Tribal Nations
Federal agents issue a stern warning against the trade and distribution of liquor on Indian reservations.
- Frontier War Bounty
A recruitment call for the 1st Regiment of Oregon Cavalry, targeting the 'Snake Indians' on the frontier.
- Call for Cavalry in the Indian Wars
Recruiting for the First Regiment of Oregon Cavalry to serve in the ongoing conflict with the Snake Indians.
- Recruiting Call for the First Oregon Cavalry
A recruitment notice seeking men to fight on the frontier, specifically targeting the Snake Indians.
- The Territorry's Tally
Secretary H. G. Struve releases the official vote count for the recent general election in Washington Territory.
- A Hunter’s Sudden Tragedy on Chambers Prairie
A young man’s life is cut short in a freak accident while hunting near the Deschutes River.
- 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.