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• 1870–1879 ×

1. The Great Land Grab: Tacoma Citizens Unite Against Northern Pacific’s ‘Squatter’ Tactics

   In a packed hall at Reinig’s Hall, leading citizens condemn the railroad’s seizure of public lands and its attempt to claim hundreds of thousands of acres for a coal line that will never be built.

   May 2, 1877The Daily IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

2. Ice Breaks: Two Young Men Drown in Snohomish River Tragedy

   Horace Low and Arthur Butt, employees of the local newspaper office, lost their lives after ice gave way beneath them while skating on the river.

   Jan 29, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyDisasters

3. The Man Who Laughed Through the Flames: A Snohomish Tragedy of Love and Loss

   When a gas leak ignited his home in Fruitland, Washington, Chandler Chandler didn't run for safety—he shielded his wife from the blast. His subsequent conversation with the doctor reveals a stoicism that defies belief.

   Jun 3, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyDisasters

4. The Beggar’s Plea: How an Old Man’s Tears Won a Judge’s Mercy

   In a touching scene at the Snohomish County Courthouse, John Burner, a destitute laborer of 73 years, pleaded guilty to grand larceny not for greed, but because his starving family had no other way to eat.

   Jun 17, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish County Courthouse, SnohomishWork & Pay

5. The Hangman's Verdict: John Thompson Convicted of Murder in Snohomish

   A trial that captivated the entire Territory ends with a death sentence for a man accused of killing his friend during a drunken brawl over a card game.

   Feb 24, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish Jail, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

6. The Price of Growth in Early Snohomish

   While town elites built elegant homes and secured university futures for their sons, a diphtheria outbreak devastated the river settlements, revealing the stark human cost of frontier expansion.

   Dec 8, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

7. The Ghost of Tacoma's Original Downtown

   Before the railroad turned Tacoma into a boomtown, the city's future was fought over by competing pioneers and land speculators.

   Apr 5, 1879The Northern StarOld Town Tacoma, Tacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · Gone Forever

8. Arson Attempt Targets Chinese Business District

   A deliberate fire set in the basement of Wah Chong's store nearly triggers a catastrophe for the city's business sector.

   Aug 21, 1876The Daily IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

9. Seattle's Street Grading Unearthed Native Remains—and Discarded Them

   In 1876, as Seattle graded its streets, workers found the remains of dead Indians and disposed of them without ceremony. A local paper reported it as just another improvement.

   Sep 8, 1876Puget Sound Weekly ArgusSeattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

10. Fatal Wharfside Shooting Leaves Town in Uproar

    A long-standing feud ends in murder on Union Wharf, with the suspect fleeing by boat as the community demands accountability from local law enforcement.

    Jun 1, 1877Puget Sound Weekly ArgusUnion Wharf, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyTrue Crime · Nightlife

11. The Tragic End of a Timber Titan

    Arthur Phinney, the driving force behind the Port Ludlow mill, dies from a long-standing internal injury.

    Jun 1, 1877Puget Sound Weekly ArgusPort Ludlow, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay · Boom & Bust

12. The Pioneer Developer’s Gamble

    When Seattle was a young, growing town, Henry Yesler looked for an unconventional way to fund critical mountain infrastructure: raffling off his massive timber empire.

    Jun 10, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

13. The Great Poker Heist: A Man Steals Glass to Escape His Debts

    In a bizarre twist of justice in 1872 Seattle, a gambler fleeing a poker loss was caught stealing window panes from a saloon instead of cash.

    Oct 17, 1872Puget Sound DispatchCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

14. The Editor Who Sold His Paper to a Brothel Keeper

    A scathing letter in the Puget Sound Dispatch exposes the corrupt alliance between Seattle’s Republican party and its most notorious vice kingpins, asking: 'What of that newspaper publisher... who for a palm share in the wages of prostitution gives his aid and influence?'

    Oct 17, 1872Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

15. The Absurd Scheme to Build a Railway to the Top of Mount Rainier

    When a coal mine failed, desperate land speculators proposed a preposterous tourist railroad to the summit of the mountain to boost property values.

    Dec 22, 1877Puget Sound DispatchTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

16. An Indigenous Burial Site Unearthed on Commercial Street

    Construction work in front of Mr. Amos Brown’s residence reveals human remains, highlighting the history of the land.

    Aug 21, 1876The Daily IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance · Gone Forever

17. Smallpox Outbreak in Port Townsend

    The port faces a health crisis after an Indian crew member is landed ashore with smallpox, sparking panic and strict quarantine measures.

    Sep 23, 1876The Northern StarPort Townsend, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · Disasters

18. The Great Fire of Seattle: A City in Ashes

    As the dust settles on the inferno that consumed the heart of the young settlement, residents face the daunting task of rebuilding from nothing.

    Oct 14, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

19. The Battle for Seattle's Soul: Who Owns the City?

    As the Northern Pacific Railroad, wealthy speculators, and the City of Seattle clash in Olympia over a massive land claim, the future of Seattle’s streets and growth hangs in the balance.

    Jun 7, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

20. The City That Refused to Drink: Seattle’s Water War of 1876

    When the local water company demanded a quarter-century monopoly and the power to seize private springs, Seattle’s leaders said no. Now, with fire risks mounting and growth accelerating, the city faces a stark choice: build its own system or wait for disaster.

    Jun 9, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

21. The Tragedy of a Desperate Courtship

    A jilted suitor’s attempt to force a marriage ends in violence and a desperate shooting near Seattle.

    Jun 17, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

22. The Political Brawl for Seattle’s Soul

    On the eve of the 1876 mayoral election, Seattle’s political landscape is marked by accusations of voter fraud, candidate interference, and a bitter struggle for city hall.

    Jul 10, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

23. The Great Terminus Fever of 1871

    As rumors swirled about the location of the Northern Pacific Railroad’s Pacific Coast terminus, Seattleites were gripped by a volatile, real-estate-driven madness that made men 'demented' and land values skyrocket.

    Dec 4, 1871Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

24. The Great 'Puget City' Real Estate Scam

    Promoters are peddling worthless 'paper towns' to investors by falsely claiming the Northern Pacific Railroad will build its western terminus there.

    Jan 15, 1872Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · True Crime

25. The Olympia Safe Heist and the Culture of Corruption

    A government agent discovered a $39,000 deficit in the Olympia sub-treasury, only for the missing funds to vanish entirely after the agent allegedly returned control to the defaulting official.

    Jan 15, 1872Puget Sound DispatchOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · True Crime

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