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1. The Pioneer Variety Store: A Snapshot of Commerce in Early Seattle

   Before the age of big-box retailers, local general stores like T. P. Freeman’s served as the essential hubs for hardware, furniture, and household needs on the frontier.

   Apr 17, 1878The Northern Star1st Ave and 2nd Ave, Seattle, King County

2. The Wild Foot Race on Commercial Street

   Before the city grew, Seattle’s main thoroughfare hosted a high-stakes sprint that drew crowds to the rooftops and left bettors stunned.

   Aug 8, 1878The Daily IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

3. The Scandal at the Springfield Hotel

   A young woman’s stay at a local hotel comes to a chaotic end when three separate men arrive to claim her as their own.

   Apr 27, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyScandal

4. The Temperance Hotel of La Conner

   An 1880s hotel proprietor promises a clean, quiet, and liquor-free establishment for the weary traveler.

   Nov 30, 1878The Northern StarLa Conner, Skagit CountyHousing & Rent · Nightlife

5. God and the Daily Grind in 1878 Seattle

   A glimpse into the moral anxieties and spiritual life of a burgeoning pioneer town, where the pulpit met the realities of guilt and sin.

   Mar 23, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King County

6. The Price of Sin in Pioneer Seattle

   While the city's elite debated municipal elections and infrastructure, a thief made off with a trunk full of coins and jewelry from a house on the margins of society.

   Jul 13, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

7. The Newspaper Wars of 1878

   A Snohomish editor accuses a rival publication of blatant plagiarism, citing the biblical commandment against stealing.

   Aug 24, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

8. The Night the 'Mad House' Burned Down

   A suspicious blaze destroys a landmark building in Seattle, forcing local citizens to scramble to save the nearby gas works from the encroaching flames.

   May 11, 1878Puget Sound DispatchFront Street, Seattle, King CountyDisasters

9. The Great Gale of 1878

   A rare, unprecedented windstorm tears through downtown Seattle, rattling the nerves and rooflines of the city’s early pioneers.

   Feb 16, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyDisasters

10. The 1878 Patent for Long-Distance Kissing

    A satirical inventor in Snohomish introduces a bizarre 'kisograph' machine to keep lovers connected across thousands of miles.

    Jun 19, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

11. The Excelsior Boom: How Puyallup Turned Wood into Bedding

    A nascent industry in the 1870s aimed to replace imported hair for mattresses with locally milled cottonwood shavings.

    Jun 19, 1878The Northern StarPuyallup, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

12. The Invisible Army Under the Microscope

    A scientific lecture delivered in Snohomish contemplates the origins of life, the invisible world of bacteria, and the processes of decay.

    Nov 23, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

13. The City Goes to the Polls in 1878

    A rare glimpse into the logistical footprint of Seattle’s civic life during the era of wooden sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages.

    Jul 6, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

14. 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

15. Seattle’s Early 1878 Council Meetings

    Before the skyline, the city was built on ordinances, grain dryers, and the push for a trans-mountain railroad.

    Aug 17, 1878Puget Sound DispatchWashington Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

16. A.A. Denny's Addition Property Sold for 1878 Judgments

    A wave of sheriff's sales across King County in 1878 signals the brutal fallout of debt and property litigation in a young, boom-and-bust frontier city.

    Jul 27, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

17. The Sad Procession of the Snohomish Bachelors

    A local scene captures the quiet, threadbare dignity of three men moving house, offering a rare, human glimpse into the isolation of frontier bachelorhood.

    Feb 27, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

18. The Perilous Afternoon of a Seattle Homeowner

    A classic tale of a homeowner's frustration with construction progress takes a literal turn when he gets stranded on his own scaffolding, sparking a tense negotiation with a neighborhood boy.

    Aug 27, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSecond Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

19. 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

20. The Sheriff's Auction of 1878

    Public auctions at the King County courthouse reveal the financial fragility and land speculation common in early Seattle.

    Jan 12, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

21. The Brutal Trail to the Stillaguamish

    A survey team mapping a new route through the wilderness describes a 80-hour stretch without water and the discovery of a 'white pine' frontier.

    Sep 1, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

22. 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

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