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• 1870–1879 ×

1. The Man Who Fought the Law: Riley’s Brawl with Seattle Police

   In July 1876, a drunken man named Riley didn't just resist arrest—he dismantled the entire police force. It took bystanders to finally pin him down.

   Jul 29, 1876Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

2. The Hidden River Beneath University Street

   When Seattle’s early engineers paved over a local creek, nature fought back during the autumn rains.

   Oct 26, 1876The Daily IntelligencerUniversity Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

3. The Dog Who Fought the Thief: Seattle’s Mastiff vs. The Ring

   A loyal mastiff in Seattle discovered a burglar's bloody trail but refused to name names, leaving locals to wonder if the 'ring' would silence him before fall.

   Sep 12, 1872Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

4. The Oregon Land Agent’s Smear Campaign

   When a rival state agent spread wild lies about 'timber forty feet deep' and 'streets of sawdust,' early Snohomish settlers fought back to set the record straight.

   Aug 10, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

5. The Monopoly That Almost Killed the Nooksack

   Before the valley flourished, settlers fought to break the stranglehold of absentee speculators and corporate monopolies that kept the river choked with logs and local trade shackled.

   Jun 12, 1878The Northern StarBellingham, Whatcom CountyFollow the Money

6. A Final Shift at the Foundry

   A Union veteran's tragic death while returning to work reflects the precarious nature of labor and health in 1878 Seattle.

   Aug 17, 1878The Daily IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyWork & Pay

7. 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

8. The Newspaper War of 1878

   Before the digital age, Seattle's editors fought their battles in court and print, trading accusations of corruption and forgery.

   Aug 24, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

9. The Great Land Grab of 1878: A Territorial Tug-of-War

   While D.C. legislators bickered over the Northern Pacific Railroad's land grants and portage routes, Washington Territory settlers fought to secure their homestead rights against corporate expansion.

   Apr 10, 1878The Northern StarKalama, Cowlitz CountyFollow the Money

10. 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

11. The Forgotten Hero: Major Granville Haller’s Fight Against Military Perjury

    After decades of distinguished service in the Mexican-American and Indian Wars, a decorated officer was summarily stripped of his rank based on a peer’s 'dreamed' accusation of disloyalty.

    Apr 13, 1878Puget Sound DispatchYakima River, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

12. The Night the City Tried to Eat Itself: A Confidence Man’s Flight Through the Woods

    In May 1877, a swindler stole cash from a saloon, fought off a citizen, and fled into the Seattle wilderness—only to be caught by an officer hiding among ruins at dawn.

    May 21, 1877The Daily IntelligencerWashington Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

13. The Independent Candidate Who Fought the Party Machine

    After suffering a broken arm, a local editor decries the 'spoils system' and the grip of party caucuses over Washington Territory's first constitutional process.

    Mar 30, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

14. The Forgotten Soldiers: A Post-War Reckoning

    Decades after the Civil War, Snohomish's local paper draws a bitter parallel between the veterans who fought to 'free the negro' and the rising tide of impoverished, displaced laborers struggling for survival in 1877.

    Sep 22, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

15. The Siege at the St. Charles Hotel

    A young woman recounts a harrowing night of confinement after a local man tricked her into his room, only to be met with a public denial and claims of 'blackmailing.'

    Feb 17, 1876Puget Sound DispatchSt. Charles Hotel, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

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

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