Research the archive

• 1870–1879 ×

1. The Grand Hotel That Will Define a Territory

   A new five-story hotel rising on Main Street promises to transform Snohomish from a frontier town into the 'best city' of Washington Territory.

   Mar 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

2. The River’s New Pulse: Captain Hill Promises to Link Snohomish and Seattle

   A bold new steam route aims to bridge the gap between the Skagit Valley and the capital of the Sound, promising weekly travel and a boost for local farmers.

   Apr 15, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

3. The Empire of the Sun: How a New Hotel in Seattle Will Define the Territory

   A glimpse into the ambitious construction of the new British Hotel, signaling Seattle's rapid growth and confidence as a territorial capital.

   Jun 17, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

4. Into the Black: A Descent into Bellingham Bay Coal Mines

   An intrepid traveler documents the perilous journey down an 800-foot incline to explore the workings of the Bellingham Bay Coal Company in the late 19th century.

   Jun 24, 1876The Northern StarBellingham, Whatcom CountyWork & Pay

5. The Human Machine: An 1876 Warning on Burnout

   A century-and-a-half-old editorial from Snohomish reminds us that the pressure to keep working is not a modern invention.

   Jul 8, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

6. The Brutal Toll of 19th-Century Politics

   Reflecting on the physical and mental collapse of high-stakes politicians, one editor warns that running for office in the American system is now a hazardous occupation.

   Aug 26, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

7. The Case for Statehood and Scientific Farming

   In an 1876 address to local farmers, W.M.T. McNeill argues that Washington Territory's path to prosperity lies in statehood, agricultural colleges, and the modernization of rural industry.

   Oct 7, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

8. The Tall Tale of Germantown’s New Arrival

   A young newcomer spins wildly imaginative yarns of buried gold and subterranean earthquakes, charming the neighborhood kids and confounding their parents.

   Oct 21, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

9. Preparing for the Territorial Vote

   Governor Elisha P. Ferry issues a formal proclamation for the November 1876 general election, including a critical vote on whether to draft a new State Constitution.

   Oct 21, 1876The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

10. He Sailed Around the Horn in '49. Thirty-One Years Later, He Went Home.

    S. S. Bassett, who farms at the mouth of the Snohomish, has come back from six months east — a boyhood village he could no longer read, a Centennial he will not stop describing, and a hard-times East that sent him home more convinced than ever about Washington Territory.

    Nov 4, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

11. Riverboat Trouble on the Snohomish

    A steam-powered river vessel runs aground while attempting a rescue, highlighting the treacherous nature of early Snohomish River navigation.

    Nov 4, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyDisasters

12. A $3 Million Sawmill Goes Corporate on Puget Sound

    Port Blakely’s mill owners incorporated in California, putting a $3 million lumber empire under a manager who would run it from the Washington Territory shore.

    Nov 11, 1876The Northern StarBainbridge Island, Kitsap CountyFollow the Money

13. The Leap Year Proposal That Shook Snohomish

    When a local woman grew tired of waiting, she took her fate—and her romantic future—into her own hands.

    Nov 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

14. The Price of the 'Effect': A Lesson in Lost Ambition

    A cautionary tale of a promising man who traded his health, property, and standing for a descent into the depths of a bottle.

    Dec 2, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyNightlife

15. The Sawmill That Silenced the Doubters

    When E. B. Bennett Waters' mill turned out its first lumber, the local skeptics who had called the projectors fools had to hold their peace.

    Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

16. The Man Who Walked Away from Death

    Richard Schmalp, a 50-year-old homesteader near Menlo View, survived a terrifying fall that split his skull open, leaving him unconscious for half an hour.

    Dec 30, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyDisasters

17. The First Cigar in the Territory: A Local Industry Takes Root

    Snohomish entrepreneur T.P. Patton has begun manufacturing tobacco, growing his own crop and rolling it into black shag—a sign of economic self-sufficiency in Washington Territory.

    Feb 10, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

18. The County's Ledger: A Glimpse into Snohomish Life in 1877

    Minutes from the Snohomish County Commissioners reveal a town in transition: new justices, bridge bids, and the quiet bureaucracy of building a community on the edge of the frontier.

    Feb 17, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

19. The Snohomish Pulpit and the 'Spirit of Indifference'

    A local sermon challenges the congregation to stop treating religion as mere entertainment and instead fight for their beliefs in an era of rapid scientific change.

    Aug 11, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

20. The Myth of the Transient Worker

    A Snohomish editor argues that young men wandering the river camps for work are missing their chance to claim homesteads before the land is claimed by others.

    Aug 18, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

21. The Strange Salvage of the Snohomish River

    After days of underwater labor, the sunken hull of a local vessel has finally been raised from the riverbed.

    Oct 20, 1877The Northern StarSecond Street, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyDisasters

22. 1877 Olympia Land Office Hears Snohomish Homestead Dispute

    A legal notice reveals the abrupt vanishing of a local homesteader, triggering a formal search for his whereabouts after he abandoned his land claim.

    Oct 27, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

23. The Monster of the Beach: A Giant Squid in Snohomish

    A spectacular display of a thirty-three-foot giant squid in Snohomish invites locals to gawk at the creature Victor Hugo once called a 'sea vampire.'

    Nov 24, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

24. The Valley Bounces Back: Lumber Market Sees Recovery

    After months of costly litigation and economic stagnation, rising log prices signal a return to prosperity for the Snohomish Valley.

    Nov 24, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

25. The Cannery King of the Snohomish

    A bold local entrepreneur eyes the river’s abundance, planning to can everything from salmon to berries to fuel the region's growth.

    Dec 15, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

Download all 2,231 as a spreadsheet (CSV)