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• 1870–1879 ×

1. The Scandal of Kate Claxton: A Star’s Divorce and the Rumors That Rocked Seattle

   In April 1873, celebrated actress Kate Claxton filed for divorce from her husband, a downtown broker, amidst rumors of an affair with a fellow actor. The case highlights the intense public scrutiny faced by women in the theater world during Seattle's early territorial days.

   Apr 18, 1877The Daily IntelligencerUnion Square, Seattle, King CountyScandal

2. The Rolling Barrel That Killed a Cauter

   In the early days of Seattle, a worker’s death was blamed on bad luck and heavy barrels—but it was likely the result of dangerous labor conditions that went unreported.

   Apr 21, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

3. The Burglar Who Stole From Himself

   A clever thief in Seattle pulls off a double deception: stealing from a store and then framing a Chinese employee for the crime.

   Apr 24, 1877The Daily IntelligencerThird Street, Seattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

4. The Boiler That Killed Safety: How Neglect Nearly Sank the Oliver Walcott

   A steamboat captain’s repeated warnings about a faulty boiler were ignored by department officials until the vessel burst into the dock at Port Townsend, leaving it stranded for repairs.

   Apr 25, 1877The Daily IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

5. The Angel of Pestilence: Seattle’s War on Rot and Ruin

   In May 1877, a local merchant’s complaint about piles of carrion near the sawmills sparked an editorial outcry against civic negligence, declaring that 'malarial vapors' were generating poison and death in the growing town.

   May 12, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

6. The Battle for Lake Union: A War of Words Over Seattle’s First Public Road

   In May 1877, a bitter public feud erupted between the newly appointed Supervisor of Road District No. 1 and a group of influential local voters over the legal authority to build a road along the west shore of Lake Union.

   May 16, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

7. The Great Cat Heist: How 'Old Tom' Became Seattle's Most Wanted Feline

   A market cat’s affection for stolen kittens turns a quiet afternoon into a scandal of the highest order.

   May 16, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

8. The Forgery That Saved a Corrupt Judge

   In May 1877, Washington Territory’s Chief Justice J.B. Lewis was nearly ousted by a fake resignation letter—only for the President to reverse course after Lewis himself exposed the fraud.

   May 24, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

9. The First White Woman of the Skykomish

   In the rugged valley north of Snohomish, pioneer settler Mrs. Furtun stands as a solitary female figure in a male-dominated frontier, marking the slow, steady growth of a region destined to become a timber and mining hub.

   Mar 11, 1876The Northern StarSkykomish, King CountyBoom & Bust

10. The Great Snohomish Church Hunt: Why Our Clergy Keep Fleeing

    A local editorial lambasts the community's inability to retain a minister, blaming itinerant preachers for their incompetence and demanding a permanent, educated clergyman who will actually work rather than just preach.

    Apr 1, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

11. The Long Walk Home: A Traveler’s Ordeal on the Skagit River

    In April 1876, a visitor to Snohomish County recounts a grueling journey through mud, tides, and broken steamers, highlighting the isolation of early Washington settlements.

    Apr 8, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

12. The Lightning Rod Swindler Who Targeted the Courthouse

    A traveling salesman tries to sell protection to a jury foreman, only to discover he’s been pitching his wares to the wrong building.

    Apr 29, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish County Courthouse, SnohomishSnake Oil

13. The Snohomish River's 'Miasma of Decay'

    An 1876 editorial decries the hazardous state of the river banks, warning that stagnant water and rotting sawdust are breeding sickness in the growing town.

    May 27, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

14. The Seattle Fire That Almost Burned the Town

    An incendiary blaze at the old Coffee and Elbow Saloon nearly consumed downtown Seattle in a narrow escape that left hundreds of men standing by with buckets.

    Jun 3, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyDisasters

15. The Tragedy of the Skykomish Logger: A Life Cut Short by a Single Log

    In the dangerous world of early 20th-century logging, James Magher’s fatal accident serves as a grim reminder of the perilous conditions faced by workers in Snohomish County's timber camps.

    Jun 3, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

16. The Temple of Thought: Snohomish Builds Its Own Athenaeum

    A visiting orator declares the new Snohomish Athenaeum a 'temple of science, literature, and art,' rising from the wilderness to preserve the intellectual legacy of the Pacific Northwest.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyGone Forever

17. The Jam That Stalled a Territory: How Local Men Tried to Clear the Skagit River

    In 1876, Snohomish residents rallied to fund the removal of massive log jams blocking the Skagit River, arguing that clearing the waterway was essential for settling the vast timber-rich lands of Washington Territory.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

18. The Night of the Knives: Snohomish Councilman and Printer Attacked in Coordinated Assault

    Two men were ambushed on Third Street within hours of each other; one beaten with an iron bar, the other held at knifepoint. The paper warns that 'a general preparation for self-defense' may soon be necessary.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

19. The Timber Tax Trap: How Snohomish County’s Wealth Was Slipping Away

    A local writer warns that mill companies are exploiting a flawed $2.50-per-acre tax assessment to monopolize land, leaving the county with debt and no court house while small loggers go bust.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

20. The Great Snohomish Church Fight: Who Owns the Soul of the County?

    A Presbyterian minister arrives in Snohomish to find a fractured community. With two rival congregations already formed and the Probate Judge playing both sides, can outside help unite the town—or just deepen the divide?

    Jun 24, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

21. A Community Keeps a Job Open for an Injured Neighbor

    When an auditor was sidelined by severe physical injuries, the community and competing candidates moved to ensure he could still earn a living through the office fees.

    Sep 2, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

22. The Snohomish 'War Path'

    A rowdy night at the Snohomish riverfront ends in a knife fight between a local drunk and the city marshal.

    Sep 16, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

23. A Panther Encounter on the River Road

    Two locals survived a tense, face-to-face standoff with a wild cat between the Snohomish and Skykomish rivers.

    Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

24. The Brawling Reformers of Snohomish

    A satirical account of a local political meeting that devolved from religious indignation into a drunken saloon brawl.

    Nov 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

25. A Night in the Hollow Tree

    A traveler lost in the brush near Snohomish spends a freezing, rain-soaked night in an hollowed-out tree, only to discover he was feet away from safety.

    Dec 2, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

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