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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 4 |
| 1859 | 6 |
| 1860 | 7 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 4 |
| 1863 | 7 |
| 1864 | 5 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1871 | 4 |
| 1872 | 17 |
| 1876 | 114 |
| 1877 | 87 |
| 1878 | 63 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 18 |
| 1882 | 17 |
| 1883 | 112 |
| 1884 | 59 |
| 1885 | 133 |
| 1886 | 73 |
| 1887 | 70 |
| 1888 | 91 |
| 1889 | 157 |
| 1890 | 33 |
| 1891 | 126 |
| 1892 | 283 |
| 1893 | 260 |
| 1894 | 206 |
| 1895 | 212 |
| 1897 | 3 |
| 1898 | 18 |
| 1899 | 59 |
| 1900 | 8 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 170 |
| 1904 | 127 |
| 1905 | 14 |
| 1907 | 3 |
| 1908 | 66 |
| 1909 | 171 |
| 1910 | 33 |
| 1911 | 6 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 36 |
| 1915 | 36 |
| 1916 | 52 |
| 1917 | 40 |
| 1918 | 4 |
| 1919 | 2 |
| 1922 | 3 |
| 1923 | 16 |
| 1924 | 16 |
| 1925 | 7 |
| 1928 | 3 |
| 1929 | 5 |
28 stories matching resid
- The Town Marshal’s New Power: Who Gets to Live in Olympia?
In March 1860, Olympia’s Board of Trustees passed a controversial ordinance targeting Native residents, requiring them to have special permission from the Marshal to reside on any street or vacant lot.
- The Dollar Deed: How a Husband’s ‘Gift’ to His Wife Cost Him His Land Claim
In a dispute over who settled first on public land, the Register of the Olympia Land Office ruled that W.S. Fish could not claim priority because he had technically transferred his donation claim to his wife for just one dollar.
- Celebrating the Lunar New Year in 1863
Olympia's Chinese residents celebrated the New Year with traditional firecrackers and tea, an occasion marked by a local editor with a mix of curiosity and cultural commentary.
- Boundary Line Disrupts Cottonwood Creek Education
A newly surveyed border places a school district in Oregon, effectively cutting it off from Washington school funds.
- The Violent Expulsion of a Black Resident from Olympia
A white resident publicly recounts his role in forcing a Black man out of town, illustrating the overt racism prevalent in the territory during the Civil War era.
- A Violent Encounter at the Ferry
A routine trip to the ferry turned into a violent confrontation when a man lying in wait attacked a local resident.
- The First Funeral at the New Presbyterian Church
Reverend Richard J. Evans, who labored to build the new church in Olympia, passed away before he could occupy its pulpit.
- Gold Fever in the Saloons
Massive, high-value quartz specimens from the Boise mines go on display in Walla Walla, fueling local speculation.
- The Relocation of the Customs House
Citizens of Port Townsend are reeling after reports that the Custom-House is being moved to satisfy political land speculators.
- A New Territory Born from the Gold Fields
As the Idaho Territory is carved from Washington's eastern reaches, residents hope the split will bring order to the Salmon River mining region.
- City Council Cracks Down on Hazardous Chimneys
Walla Walla residents are scrambling to upgrade fire-prone flues after a new ordinance threatens fines for unsafe stovepipe installations.
- The Bureaucracy of Abandonment
Olympia’s land office is paralyzed by backlogs, leaving settlers and their titles in legal limbo while officials in Washington, D.C. ignore local pleas for help.
- Independence Day in Olympia, 1861
Citizens celebrated the 85th anniversary of American independence with a picnic at a nearby lake, a patriotic reading by Elwood Evans, and a grand ball at Washington Hall.
- The Political Price of a Civil War Oath
A local controversy erupted when a resident’s right to vote was challenged based on his previous service in the Missouri state militia.
- Defending the Union in the Territory
As the Civil War ignites, an editorial calls on Thurston County residents to mobilize and reject neutrality.
- The Push for Idaho Territory
Residents in the eastern reaches of Washington Territory call for a split from Olympia, citing a government that is 'a supreme farce.'
- The Bold Bid for a New Pacific Emporium
Speculators and city-builders are betting millions on a new town at the mouth of the Columbia River, hoping to eclipse Portland and Victoria as the premier trading hub of the North.
- Olympia Celebrates the Turning Point of the Civil War
Upon receiving news of Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the capital of Washington Territory erupted in days of wild, illuminated celebration.
- Vigilantes Clean House in Walla Walla
An organized shadow group forces suspected criminals out of town in the dead of winter.
- The Human Cost of the Overland Journey
Destitute immigrants arriving in Walla Walla by ox-team, broken by travel and disease, find a moment of grace from the city's residents.
- An Ill-Fated Fishing Excursion to Brown's Wharf
Local residents charter a boat named 'Union' for a fishing trip, only to end up mud-bound and fishless.
- 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 Capital Crisis of 1861
A fiery letter to the editor captures the volatile politics of Washington Territory, as Pierce County residents accused the legislature of a 'corrupt bargain' over the location of the capital.
- The Marriage Mill: Is Olympia a Haven for Runaways?
Legislative divorce bills in 1860 are turning Washington Territory into a 'by-word and reproach' as lawmakers bypass the courts to dissolve marriages for political favors.
- The Pre-emptor’s Ledger: A Blueprint for Owning Olympia
In November 1860, the federal government issued a rigid, almost theatrical checklist of requirements for settlers hoping to claim land in Washington Territory. It wasn't enough to just show up; you had to prove your worthiness through a litany of domestic and agricultural details.