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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
- Legislative Crackdown on 'Bar-Check' Fraud
A new proposal in the state house seeks to hold saloon-keepers accountable for cashing checks for intoxicated patrons, a practice contributing to high forgery rates.
- Direct Trade with Hawaii Arrives
A Hawaiian brig arrives in Olympia, signaling a potential shift from territorial isolation to a direct exchange of island goods for Puget Sound timber.
- The Largest Lumber Mill on the Sound
Pittsburgh entrepreneurs break ground on a massive steam-powered mill near Olympia, promising to slash construction costs in the Territory.
- Drawing the Lines for Statehood
As Washington approached statehood, the territory grappled with how to divide itself into twenty-five districts to select delegates for a constitutional convention.
- 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 Fight for Recognition in the Sanitary Fund
Olympia locals demand that their contributions to the war effort be credited to Washington Territory, not Oregon.
- Backstage Brawl Ends Performance for Traveling Troupe
A musical performance in Olympia turned into an unintended comedy when a stage-manager's reprimand led to a physical confrontation.
- Labor Keeps Its Distance from the 'Wet' Fight
State Federation of Labor leaders refuse to take sides in the brewing local option prohibition fight.
- The Saloon Question in Olympia
Olympia's City Council moves to curb the prevalence of saloons through steep fee hikes, a move that the P-I suggests Seattle should replicate.
- 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.
- The Paper Blizzard That Ate Washington's Budget
A senate committee blames vague printing laws and verbose officials for a $52,000 deficit—and says thousands of reports are destined for the junk dealer.
- The Lawmaker Who Killed His Own Railroad Bill
Rather than let opponents gut it, Representative Hoole sends his railroad and steamboat measure to an indefinite grave after a day of parliamentary jabs.
- World's Fair Commission Cleared of Dishonesty, But Spending Called Extravagant
A joint legislative committee finds no evidence of dishonesty in the World's Fair Commission, but criticizes excessive expenditures and recommends $50,000 more to finish the work.
- A $1,500 Sewer Plan, and a Demand for an Affidavit
Olympia's council weighs buying a complete sewerage scheme for the city — but not before the engineer swears his figures are honest.
- A Variety Troupe Rolls Into Olympia, Log-Jam Scene and All
The Swedish-American comedy 'Yon Yonson' wins the house — and the paper can't stop describing its loudest, beefiest actress with a mixture of delight and disbelief.
- The Hay Thief, the Bathtub, and the Shotgun Out of Repair
A Westside barn alarm turns into a comic opera of nightshirts, a borrowed shotgun and one stolen bale of hay.
- A Chicago Broker Returns to Find Olympia Unrecognizable
Away for more than two decades, I. I. Hackney marvels at the capital city's real-estate boom, new statehouse ambitions, and the wilderness he once knew as Tacoma.
- Sheriff Seizes Olympia's 'Bob-Tail' Streetcars Over a $250 Note
A small debt owed by the North Olympia Land Company brought the Main Street line to a halt, while its manager blamed grading, weather, and stalled power negotiations for the delay.
- Half-Finished Streets and a Man-Trap on Main: The Tribune Takes the City to Task
On the morning of a council meeting, Olympia's paper catalogues the abandoned plank road, the blocked gutters, the depot sidewalk rotting for two weeks, and a hole in Main Street waiting to cost the city money.
- A Freethinker Takes On the Pulpit in Olympia
At Liberal Hall, P. D. Moore answers a minister’s sermon on law with a call for a religion of nature, reason, and good conduct rather than wrath and dogma.
- The Governor Who Filled Washington Returns, and Finds It Full
Sixteen years after leaving office, former territorial governor Edward Salomon walks back into an Olympia hotel and finds old friends grown wealthy — and a young state he helped populate now competing with Seattle and Tacoma for its own future.
- A Boy, a Boarding House, and Two Stolen Diamond Rings
A missing quilt unravels into a ring theft, a confession behind jail bars, and a man bound over for the January court term.
- Tumwater's Mass Meeting Cast 65 Votes With Only 50 Voters in the Room
A local nominating meeting for council seats turned harmonious—and hilarious—when the ballots outnumbered the attendees.