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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
- One Coal-Oil Dealer Is Holding Olympia's New Electric Railway Hostage for $10,000
The streetcar line is contracted, the rails are shipped and the crews are ready — but George Marvin Savage's outfit sits squarely in the middle of Main Street, and he will not budge for less than ten thousand dollars.
- The Morning the Land Office Doors Nearly Came Off Their Hinges
Dozens of men stormed the Olympia land office at 9 a.m. to file on a timber township worth a fortune — but the filings were a railroad's opening move in a legal war over the public domain.
- A Community Effort to Save a Young Life
Local residents pool their own money to send a young man struggling with addiction to the Keeley Institute for treatment.
- The Schoolbook Bribery Scandal
The State Supreme Court reinstates an indictment against four men accused of attempting to bribe a member of the State Board of Education to influence textbook contracts.
- The Church That Was Built by Hand
A pioneer minister recalls the grit and community labor required to build Olympia's first Unitarian church during the city's early boom and bust cycles.
- Olympia’s Paper Cheers a Harsher Chinese Exclusion Act — and Calls for Expulsion
The Olympia Tribune backs a federal bill barring Chinese merchants and artisans, then goes further: deport every Chinese resident to “give work to better people.”
- A Farm Paper Accuses Olympia of Auctioning a Senate Seat
After the 1903 legislature adjourned, The Ranch blasted lawmakers for graft, railroad favoritism, a $3.25 million budget and $125,000 in fair appropriations.
- A Senate Seat, a 'Boodle' Cry, and Two Rival Caucus Calls
With the legislature barely organized, Republicans war over who should go to Washington—accusations of bribes, a strange 'binding' caucus call, and candidates angling for the prize.
- The U.S. Senate Seat That Stalled Olympia
With Republicans split over Wilson and Ankeny, Pierce County played a double game and the governor's message shoved the Senate election to the back of the room.
- The Governor's White Elephant and a Newspaper Deal
A proposed $2,500 purchase of the Daily Olympian sets off talk of a King County power play, a governor's relief, and a political machine in the making.
- The Vouchers That Frightened a Capital
A widening probe into Washington State's books has forced one resignation, is about to force another, and may yet reach the governor's mansion itself.
- The Adjutant General and the Missing $40,000
Ortis Hamilton was charged with embezzling state and national military funds—and an audit found 90 percent of the Washington towns checked so far were also short.
- The House Turns on Its Insurance Commissioner
The Washington House votes unanimously to impeach Insurance Commissioner James H. Schively, opening a Senate trial that could remove him—and prolong the special session.
- The $11,000,000 Hole in Washington's School Fund
A legislative investigating committee charges that land cruisers and timber buyers colluded for decades to strip the state's school trust — and that the loss to Washington's schoolchildren may already be beyond recovery.
- The State Tries to Soften the Panic for Delinquent Taxpayers
The Senate passes a bill remitting penalties and interest on delinquent 1893–94 taxes, citing “great financial stringency” and declaring an emergency.
- Bureaucratic Delay, Bloody Quarrels: The Land Survey That Left Homesteaders in Limbo for 15 Years
Senator Squire demands answers from the General Land Office as settlers on townships 38-40 wait over a decade for their land titles, with boundary disputes turning deadly.
- The Fatal Climb for the Church Bells
A local carpenter attempted to scale a church steeple to settle a debate about height, meeting a tragic end in full view of the town.
- The Great McFadden Ovation: A City Stops for Its Hero
In October 1872, Olympia erupted in celebration as thousands of citizens, horses, and brass bands escorted Territorial Delegate Owen McFadden home from his successful eastern tour, contrasting sharply with the cold reception given to his rival.
- The Great Emigration Heist: How Oregon and California Stole Washington’s Future
A territorial report reveals that aggressive agents in San Francisco are actively sabotaging settlers bound for the Pacific Northwest, leaving only one man from a Nebraska colony to tell the tale.
- The High-Stakes Senate Betting Scandal
A political showdown over the U.S. Senate seat between Judge Calkins and Senator Watson C. Squire turns into a frantic, high-dollar gambling display in an Olympia hotel lobby.
- The Olympia Hotel Riot
A political caucus to nominate a U.S. Senator erupts into a shouting match and physical brawl as factions clash over the candidate list.
- The Postmaster Who Refused to Hire Women
An eighteen-year-old applicant details how she was misled and eventually dismissed by the Olympia postmaster due to her gender.
- The Political Battle for the Nicaragua Canal
At the 1892 Republican state convention in Olympia, delegates engaged in a fierce, emotionally charged floor fight over the proposed Nicaragua Canal project.
- Capitol Commission Infighting Leads to Firing
Governor McGraw removes John McBeavy from the state capitol commission following a volatile dispute over the selection of architectural plans.
- Civil War Veterans Clash with Custom House Over Flag Display
Grand Army of the Republic members in Olympia vow to hold federal officials accountable after an alleged failure to fly the American flag on Memorial Day.