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1. The Mother of Discontent: Abigail Scott Duniway’s Rally for Rights

   In an impassioned 1878 address to the Territorial Convention, activist Abigail Scott Duniway demanded Washington women be granted the vote, framing the domestic 'insurrection' of disenfranchised wives as a parallel to the American Revolution.

   Jul 20, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

2. The Great Olympia Fire: How a City Rallied Against the Flames

   When an August blaze threatened to consume Olympia's business district, the community, including local women, rushed to save the heart of the town.

   Aug 11, 1877The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyDisasters

3. The Contract Prison of the Skookum Chuck

   A look inside the privatized territorial penitentiary of 1879, where convict labor was auctioned off to pay for a sheriff's enterprise.

   Mar 22, 1879The Northern StarBucoda, Thurston CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

4. The Tragedy at Tenino: A Mother’s Search for Her Child in the Flames

   When a fire destroyed the home of Stephen Hogden and his boarder B.W. Ward on February 15, 1877, most escaped—but nine-year-old Nellie Ward was lost to the inferno.

   Feb 24, 1877The Northern StarYelm, Thurston CountyDisasters

5. The Iron Road to Tenino

   After years of fits and starts, Olympia residents push to finish a vital rail connection, mirroring the modern-day struggle for infrastructure and investment.

   Apr 17, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyBoom & Bust

6. The Dream of the Flameless Mill

   A bold industrial scheme in Olympia to run a lumber mill via the power of the tides—and the quiet, resourceful spirit behind the invention.

   Jan 25, 1879The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountySnake Oil

7. The Territory's Failed Constitutional Bid

   In a formal proclamation, Governor Elisha P. Ferry officially declared the rejection of a proposed state constitution and its supplemental articles by the voters of the Washington Territory.

   Feb 8, 1879The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

8. The Great Legislative Mess of 1877

   A scathing editorial reveals how Washington Territory lawmakers spent their time sight-seeing instead of legislating, resulting in a chaotic pile of 'undigested' laws.

   Dec 15, 1877The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

9. The Territorry's Tally

   Secretary H. G. Struve releases the official vote count for the recent general election in Washington Territory.

   Dec 23, 1876The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

10. 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.

    Nov 17, 1877The Northern StarChambers Prairie, Olympia, Thurston CountyDisasters

11. Preparing for the Territorial Vote

    Governor Elisha P. Ferry issues a formal proclamation for the November 1876 general election, including a critical vote on whether to draft a new State Constitution.

    Oct 21, 1876The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

12. The Unsinkable 'Old Settler' of the Olympia Tide-Flats

    An enterprising Olympia pioneer launches a custom-built, shallow-draft vessel to dominate the local oyster trade.

    May 29, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyStrange But True

13. When Washington Voters First Weighed Statehood

    In 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued a formal proclamation calling for a territory-wide vote on the proposed state constitution and the future of regional representation.

    Oct 5, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

14. The Call for a State Constitutional Convention

    In 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued an official proclamation calling for a special election to select delegates for a convention to draft a state constitution for Washington.

    Mar 13, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

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