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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 62 |
| 1858 | 29 |
| 1859 | 52 |
| 1860 | 27 |
| 1861 | 101 |
| 1862 | 87 |
| 1863 | 69 |
| 1864 | 32 |
| 1865 | 11 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 812 |
| 1877 | 678 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 180 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 911 |
| 1884 | 499 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,324 |
| 1890 | 287 |
| 1891 | 1,115 |
| 1892 | 2,855 |
| 1893 | 2,829 |
| 1894 | 2,116 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 62 |
| 1898 | 196 |
| 1899 | 446 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,332 |
| 1904 | 1,126 |
| 1905 | 124 |
| 1907 | 53 |
| 1908 | 351 |
| 1909 | 1,545 |
| 1910 | 413 |
| 1911 | 160 |
| 1912 | 73 |
| 1914 | 261 |
| 1915 | 300 |
| 1916 | 545 |
| 1917 | 332 |
| 1918 | 45 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1923 | 185 |
| 1924 | 151 |
| 1925 | 64 |
| 1928 | 14 |
| 1929 | 19 |
2,231 stories
- The Price of Early Seattle
A real estate notice from 1876 advertises a prime plot of land between Seneca and University—a neighborhood that would eventually become the heartbeat of downtown Seattle.
- The Downtown Seattle Lot That Could Have Been Yours
A 1876 real estate advertisement offers a sprawling 160x120 foot residential parcel in the heart of what is now the metropolitan core.
- The Price of a Seattle Lot in 1876
A modest classified advertisement offers a glimpse into the vanished affordability of downtown Seattle real estate.
- The Price of a 1876 Pioneer Homestead
A modest classified advertisement offers a glimpse into the vanished residential geography of downtown Seattle’s First Hill.
- The Price of Public Charity in 1877
King County seeks the lowest bidder to house and feed the poor, a stark reminder of the nineteenth-century approach to social safety nets.
- The Last Breath of Susie Shouts: A Mother’s Grief in the Garden Lands
In March 1877, just as the Northern Star was extolling the fertile promise of Snohomish’s tide marshes, a local family lost their four-year-old daughter to acute bronchitis at the Riverside Hotel.
- The Ghost Land Claim of Snohomish County
A territorial land office notice reveals the mystery of a missing homesteader and the fight for his claim near the Snohomish River.
- Snohomish Land Claim Dispute Heads to Probate Court
A legal summons from 1877 reveals the precarious reality of early Washington settlers who vanished from their claims, leaving behind only government paperwork and public notices.
- The Doctor Is In, and She's Taking Patients by Mail
Mrs. S. D. Hewes, one of the first female medical practitioners in Seattle, opens her doors to the sick in 1878.
- The 'Vanity Fair' Lottery Scandal
When a Seattle game of chance faced accusations of fraud, the proprietor was forced to defend his honor in the pages of the local press.
- The Rising Waters of the Talbot Mine
An underground spring floods a local mine, threatening to halt operations just as the town's industrial future takes root.
- The Zephyr’s Relief Mission to the Snohomish Valley
After the mountain snows melted and triggered a devastating flood, the steamer Zephyr served as a critical lifeline to the isolated settlers of the Snohomish River valley.
- The Cattle Partnership That Could Not Be Settled in Court
A landmark Washington Supreme Court ruling in 1872 reminded settlers that you cannot simply sue your business partner; you must account for the ledger first.
- The Battle for the Sunday Morning Calm
When Seattle’s businesses first debated the secular 'day of rest,' local editors questioned if the city’s newspapers should be forced to observe the Sabbath.
- The Unsung Patron of Port Townsend
A local priest takes to the pages of the Dispatch to set the record straight on who actually paid for the town's new church, insisting on public accountability for his private donation.
- The Ghostly Return of Mr. Folliott
A Seattle husband returns from a harrowing journey in India to find his 'widow' has remained faithful—despite the local gossips who were eager to see her remarry.
- The Tragic End of Ferryman Henry Smith
A lonely death on the Duwamish River captures the precarious reality of life in early Seattle.
- The Man Who Vanished: A Tacoma Mystery
A stock raiser leaves his home in fine clothes and is never seen again. Is it a disappearance or foul play?
- The Gambler’s Pistol and the Marshal’s Mercy
A violent confrontation on a Tacoma wharf in 1876 reveals the raw, lawless edge of early Pacific Northwest frontier justice.
- Holiday Revelry in Early Renton
A historic gathering of pioneer families at the new schoolhouse marked a high-water mark for the young coal mining settlement.
- A Tragic Kitchen Fire in Semiahmoo
A young woman loses her life in a heartbreaking domestic accident during a time of religious devotion.
- The Bitter Newspaper Feud of 1876
A public, vitriolic war of words between two Seattle editors reveals the cutthroat nature of early Pacific Northwest journalism.
- The Axe and the Insane Asylum: A Tragedy in Snohomish
A local farmer justifies shooting a stranger who assaulted his sister, citing the attacker's history of mental illness.
- The Arrow That Stole a Boy's Sight
A tragic accident in a Seattle yard leaves a 13-year-old boy blind, highlighting the dangers of childhood play in the unregulated frontier.
- The Panic on Stage: How a Shout of 'Fight' Turned a Seattle Theater into a Stampede
In the winter of 1876, a misinterpreted cry during a local play sparked a chaotic rush for exits, injuring several patrons and exposing the fragility of public order in the young city.