Research the archive

• 1880–1889 ×

1. The Forgotten Pioneer Who Built Tacoma

   Job Carr arrived in a wilderness with an ox team and a dream of a railroad terminal, only to die with a broken heart as the city he staked rose up to push him aside.

   Aug 14, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerOld Town, Tacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

2. The Brutal Departure from Commercial Street

   After years of enduring her husband's violence and the destruction of her home, a Seattle woman seeks a divorce to save her young daughter.

   Sep 10, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyScandal

3. The Tragedy of a Domestic Cage

   A Seattle woman’s desperate attempt to escape an abusive marriage ends in a violent suicide after her husband, an older man driven by irrational jealousy, takes his own life following a brutal assault.

   Nov 10, 1887Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer1st Ave & Washington St, Seattle, King CountyScandal

4. Streetcar Chaos and the Case of the Two Dynamite Bombs

   An evening confrontation on a Tacoma streetcar escalated into a brawl involving two armed men and a terrifying discovery of hidden explosives.

   Nov 12, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerPacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

5. The Waterfront Fire That Nearly Leveled Seattle

   A dangerous cargo of dynamite on the schooner Idaho risked total catastrophe after a kerosene fire broke out at the Ocean Dock.

   Nov 29, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

6. The Shadowed Life of a Russian Emigré

   A man pursued from London to New York and Denver finds himself under arrest for arson in Seattle, caught in the web of international extradition.

   Mar 6, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerLake City, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

7. The Woman Who Refused the Judge

   A Seattle woman stands her ground in municipal court, calling out a judge's election fraud and choosing jail over a fine.

   Apr 24, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerMunicipal Court, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

8. The Palace Coup at the Young Men’s Independent Club

   A political faction attempts to seize control of a local club through backroom deals and 'gag rules,' only to be met with a revolt by the membership.

   Jun 21, 1884Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

9. The Moral Crusade for Seattle's Streets

   Proponents of the 'Law and Order' ticket gather to demand the closure of 'lava bed' dives and gambling dens in an impassioned local election rally.

   Jul 10, 1884Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

10. Fatal Poisoning in the Reservation

    A Yakima Indian dies instantly after consuming lemon extract laced with strychnine, prompting a medical investigation.

    Apr 18, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyTrue Crime

11. Expulsion and Harassment on the Waterfront

    A Chinese man arrives in Seattle only to be threatened by a local anti-Chinese group, highlighting the climate of exclusion in 1885.

    Sep 2, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerWashington Street, Seattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

12. The Election Day Plot at Black Diamond

    Election officials warn of a sinister scheme to disrupt the vote at the coal mines, prompting calls for citizens to guard the ballot box.

    Oct 28, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerBlack Diamond, King CountyCity Hall

13. Living on Borrowed Time in Lower Seattle

    A scathing editorial decries the 'man-traps' of the waterfront, where buildings are propped up on flimsy planks to accommodate rising street grades.

    Nov 17, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

14. Shanties Cleared at University Street

    The City Council orders the destruction of precarious housing at the waterfront, forcing residents out to make way for development.

    Mar 26, 1884Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSymphony, Seattle, King CountyHousing & Rent

15. The Great Fire That Turned Seattle’s Suburb into Ash

    A fast-moving blaze in the early morning hours consumed nearly all of South Seattle's business district, leaving dozens of families destitute and causing over $100,000 in damage.

    May 16, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

16. The Day the Territorial Supreme Court Killed Women's Suffrage in Washington

    In a landmark test case from May 1902, Judge Sash ruled that the Organic Act of Washington Territory only granted voting rights to males, effectively striking down local efforts to enfranchise women.

    May 24, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

17. The Settler's Victory Against the Northern Pacific

    A landmark Secretary of the Interior decision in 1888 effectively blocked the Northern Pacific Railroad from seizing 'indemnity' lands held by Washington homesteaders.

    Aug 3, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerYakima, Yakima CountyFollow the Money

18. The Governor’s War: Seattle’s Militia Mutiny and the Coal Creek Massacre

    In the wake of a deadly strike at Newcastle coal mines, Governor Elisha Peery clashes with local sheriff over military command, exposing the fragility of civil authority in Washington Territory.

    Jan 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCoal Creek, Newcastle, King CountyWork & Pay

19. The Black Miners Who Came to Save Roslyn

    In February 1885, a special train carrying 300 African American laborers from the East Coast arrived in Washington Territory to break a coal strike. Their arrival ended weeks of unrest and restored order to the struggling mining town.

    Feb 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerRoslyn, Kittitas CountyWork & Pay

20. The Last Frontier: Washington Admitted to the Union

    As President Harrison signs the 'Omnibus Bill,' Seattle celebrates the end of territorial status and the dawn of statehood for the Pacific Northwest.

    Mar 6, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

21. The Night Cheney Burned to the Ground

    A pre-dawn fire decimated half of Cheney’s business district, leaving city officials to suspect arson as the town vowed to rise again from the ashes.

    Apr 19, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFirst Street, Cheney, Spokane CountyDisasters

22. The Battle for the Tideflats: A Legal Standoff in Early Seattle

    A landmark court ruling in 1890 defined the limits of corporate expansion over the rights of property owners, setting a precedent for Seattle’s rapidly changing waterfront.

    May 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Waterfront, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

23. After the Great Fire of 1889: Rebuilding a City from the Ashes

    While Seattle recovers from a devastating conflagration, a citywide debate pits public safety and urban planning against private interests over the future layout of the business district.

    Jun 11, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Disasters

24. Seattle Rebuilds After Fire, Clearing Ruins and Sheltering Residents

    Following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city grapples with the logistics of debris clearance, housing relief, and the return of labor.

    Jun 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

25. The Rebuilding of Seattle After the Great Fire

    Civic leaders and laborers work to transform the scorched remains of the city into a modern metropolis.

    Jun 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

Download all 5,298 as a spreadsheet (CSV)