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• 1870–1879 ×

1. The First Poet of Snohomish: A Captain’s Verse and a Hotelier’s Blunder

   A retrospective on the town's earliest settlers reveals that E. I. Tucker wasn't just a steamboat engineer—he was also its first literary figure, while his father’s linguistic mishaps provide a glimpse into the colorful social life of the era.

   Mar 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyLocal Legends

2. The Great Snohomish Jailbreak: A Bank Robber’s Midnight Escape

   While the town slept, a prisoner charged with robbing an Olympia bank picked his way out of the Snohomish jail. He is still at large.

   Mar 25, 1876The Northern StarCounty Jail, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

3. The Zephyr’s Preacher: A New Church Rises in Snohomish

   Rev. J.H. Thompson arrives by steamboat to organize the Union Presbyterian Church, marking a spiritual milestone for the growing city.

   Apr 8, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

4. The Murder on the Train: A Snohomish Mystery

   An Indian man is found dead with his throat cut aboard a local train; suspicion falls on two men from Pratt Point.

   Apr 29, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

5. The Spoils System Must Go

   In an 1880 letter of acceptance, a presidential candidate lays out a radical vision to dismantle political patronage and return to a government based on merit rather than party service.

   Jul 22, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

6. The Sermon on Snohomish: A Frontier Pulpit Feud

   A local clergyman takes to the press to defend his ministry against an anonymous critic, sparking a heated public debate on science, theology, and the moral state of Snohomish.

   Jul 29, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

7. The Man Who Left for Seattle and Never Arrived

   A Snohomish man set out to arrange his family’s move. Days later, searchers had only a sighting near a shingle house and two troubling theories: sudden illness or foul play.

   Sep 16, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

8. Tragedy at a Family Gathering

   A young boy, visiting family in Snohomish, is killed by a horse kick in a sudden and heartbreaking accident.

   Sep 23, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

9. Surveyors Blocked by Federal Red Tape

   A new federal funding measure renders land surveying in Western Washington practically impossible, stalling pioneer settlement expansion.

   Oct 14, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

10. 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

11. The $1,300 Christmas Miracle: How Snohomish Ladies Saved the Town's Soul

    In an era of economic panic, a group of 'enterprising young ladies' raised over $1,300 in gifts for the poor, proving that community spirit was the town's strongest currency.

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

12. The River Opens: First Steamboat Conquers the Skagit's North Fork

    After settlers cleared the jam at La Conner, Captain Hill’s vessel became the first to navigate the treacherous waters of the North Fork, unlocking a new era for the region.

    Jan 13, 1877The Northern StarLa Conner, Skagit CountyBoom & Bust

13. The Man Who Vanished Into the Slough

    A Snohomish resident borrows a skiff for a trip to Thornton Mellan’s and never returns; neighbors find only his clothes on the riverbank.

    Feb 3, 1877The Northern StarSteamboat Slough, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

14. The Marsh That Swallowed the Land: A Call to Drain Snohomish

    Local farmers face ruin as winter rains turn fertile bottomlands into impassable swamps; experts propose a collective drainage project to save the region's agricultural future.

    Mar 3, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

15. Taming the Snohomish Valley Marshlands

    A look at the settlers turning the muddy, fertile banks of the Snohomish River into a bustling agricultural hub through sweat and engineering.

    Aug 4, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

16. The 'Atheneum' Dream: A Vision for Snohomish Intellectual Life

    A group of forward-thinking Snohomish residents formalizes a new society dedicated to science, literature, and civic improvement, challenging the town to invest in its own cultural growth.

    Oct 6, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

17. The Newspaper Built from Scraps

    After relocating to Vancouver, a resourceful publisher faced a printing dilemma and solved it by engineering their own custom press from repurposed timber and discarded iron.

    Nov 17, 1877The Northern StarVancouver, Clark CountyStrange But True

18. 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

19. The Great Ditch: How Snohomish Settlers Tamed the Marsh

    Before the land was dry, a few determined pioneers took shovels and grit to the wetlands behind Snohomish to carve a new path for trade and transit.

    Feb 6, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

20. The Hard-Won Coal of Wilkeson

    A persistent mining operation in Wilkeson struggles with geological faults and shifting veins to keep the fuel moving toward the Puget Sound.

    Apr 17, 1878The Northern StarWilkeson, Pierce CountyWork & Pay

21. Falling Log Crushes Andrew Gullen's Leg on the River

    A tragic accident on the Snohomish River leaves a young logger struggling for survival, highlighting the brutal toll of frontier labor.

    Jan 25, 1879The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

22. The Minister and the Mysterious Cartload of Produce

    A thrifty frontier couple surprises a local minister with a literal 'garden' fee for his services, proving that a modest beginning can grow into a generous legacy.

    Aug 2, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

23. The Wild Horse Races and Baseball of 1873

    Before skyscrapers and paved roads, Seattle residents gathered for half-mile horse heats and a historic first baseball game.

    Aug 2, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

24. The Ill Wind Blowing Immigrants to Puget Sound

    While conflict in Eastern Washington creates tragedy and displacement, Seattle finds itself an unintended harbor for those fleeing the violence.

    Aug 13, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

25. The Ghost of the Liverpool Run

    A sailor vanishes from his ship during a squall, only to reappear in an English port, leaving his crew convinced they’ve been haunted by a stowaway.

    Aug 16, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

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