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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 62 |
| 1858 | 29 |
| 1859 | 52 |
| 1860 | 27 |
| 1861 | 101 |
| 1862 | 87 |
| 1863 | 69 |
| 1864 | 32 |
| 1865 | 11 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 812 |
| 1877 | 678 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 180 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 911 |
| 1884 | 499 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,324 |
| 1890 | 287 |
| 1891 | 1,115 |
| 1892 | 2,855 |
| 1893 | 2,829 |
| 1894 | 2,116 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 62 |
| 1898 | 196 |
| 1899 | 446 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,332 |
| 1904 | 1,126 |
| 1905 | 124 |
| 1907 | 53 |
| 1908 | 351 |
| 1909 | 1,545 |
| 1910 | 413 |
| 1911 | 160 |
| 1912 | 73 |
| 1914 | 261 |
| 1915 | 300 |
| 1916 | 545 |
| 1917 | 332 |
| 1918 | 45 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1923 | 185 |
| 1924 | 151 |
| 1925 | 64 |
| 1928 | 14 |
| 1929 | 19 |
5,298 stories
- Tragedy on the Skagit: Six Miners Lost in River Crossing
A supply-laden canoe capsized near the Portage, ending the lives of six men seeking their fortune in the gold-rich mountains.
- A Family Tragedy in the Whatcom Courtroom
A mother and her twelve-year-old son were convicted of manslaughter after a deadly land dispute, highlighting the violent risks of territorial-era frontier claims.
- From Embers to Empire: The Resilience of the Port Blakely Mill
When fire destroyed the massive Port Blakely sawmill in 1888, the company didn't just rebuild—they turned it into the largest, most productive operation on Puget Sound.
- Ellensburg Convention Pushes Washington Statehood in 1889
Delegates gathered in Ellensburg in 1889 to demand admission into the Union, arguing that the territory had matured into a self-sustaining, prosperous commonwealth.
- The Nine-Hour Day: Seattle Carpenters and Contractors Strike a Deal
In a rare moment of labor harmony, the Seattle Building Trades Union and local contractors have agreed to reduce the workday from ten to nine hours while maintaining wages, setting a precedent for the city's construction industry.
- The Great Washington Delay: How Congress Stalled Statehood for a Political Game
In January 1889, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an 'Omnibus Bill' to admit four territories as states, but fierce partisan fighting over Dakota and Montana left Washington Territory in limbo—delaying its entry into the Union by nearly two years.
- The Governor’s Gambit: Why Washington’s Leader Refused to Send Troops to Strike Miners
In the heat of a labor dispute in Roslyn, Gov. Henry M. Temple argues that calling out the military is a last resort, while local officials clash over the legality of using armed citizens as police.
- The Great Statehood Gamble: Why Washington Was Left Behind While South Dakota Joined the Union
As North Yakima pushes for an independent convention and Congress favors executive proclamation for other territories, Seattle’s leaders warn that the 'omnibus bill' is actively discriminating against Washington's path to statehood.
- The Sheriff Who Stood Alone: Cochrane’s Standoff with Federal Deputies
King County Sheriff Sidney S. Cochrane defied U.S. Marshals at the Oregon Improvement Company’s Newcastle coal mine, sparking a local crisis that ended only when federal and state authorities refused to back his arrest.
- The Man Who Wrote His Name Twice: How J.C. Haines Cleared His Name in Seattle
A federal jury in New York has acquitted Colonel Haines of opium conspiracy charges, vindicating the prominent Washington Territory lawyer and Republican leader against a politically motivated plot.
- The Great Car Tax: How a Treasury Order Threatened Seattle’s Rail Lifeline
A new federal duty on foreign railroad cars threatens to strangle trade between the Pacific Northwest and the East, sparking fears of economic isolation for Washington Territory.
- The Father of Walla Walla's Nurseries Dies
Philip Kite, the territorial delegate who helped bring the Northern Pacific Railroad to the Northwest and built a massive horticultural empire, has died at age 81.
- The Governor’s Dilemma: Can Washington Skip Congress to Become a State?
Territory’s top lawyers clash over whether the Governor can unilaterally call a constitutional convention to bypass federal delays in statehood.
- The Seduction of a Judge: Wickersham Indicted in Tacoma
Territorial Grand Jury Returns True Bill Against Probate Judge James Wickersham for Alleged Seduction of Miss Sadie C. Brantuar; He Arraigned and Given Until Noon to Plead.
- The Women Who Refused to Look Away
Tacoma’s most prominent ladies rally behind a betrayed young woman in court, challenging Seattle’s apathetic society to stand with her.
- The Suffragist in the Hall: How One Woman’s Plea Shook Washington’s Constitutional Convention
In the sweltering heat of 1878, a delegation from Seattle petitioned the territorial convention for women's voting rights. Mrs. Dunaway was invited to speak, delivering an eloquent appeal that momentarily softened the hearts of the 'sage' delegates before the vote closed.
- The Third Time's the Charm: Tacoma Court Begins Murder Trial of Mortgage Foreclosure Killer
William M. White faces his third trial for the fatal shooting of James McMillan over a farm dispute in the Puyallup Valley, a case that has dragged on since 1886.
- The Gambler’s Shield: How Seattle Saloon Keepers Dodged Mayor Moras’ Purge
When Chief Justice Burke urged the city to revoke liquor licenses from gambling dens, the Common Council refused—citing legal technicalities and protecting the very establishments the mayor wanted shut down.
- The Steamer That Smuggled Opium in Sauerkraut Barrels
A federal seizure of the Walla Walla reveals a shocking loophole: how Pacific Coast Steamship Company executives claim 'skid grease' shipments were actually opium, and why customs officials looked the other way.
- The Unsolved Execution at Green River
A lonely homesteader is found dead in the woods, his cabin undisturbed and his secrets kept, sparking a flurry of local suspicion.
- The Mother Who Faced Down a Lynch Mob
When a gang of miners prepared to hang a young drifter, the town laundress did the unthinkable: she claimed him as her own son.
- The Great Migration: A Boomtown at 800 People a Day
In 1889, Washington Territory experienced an unprecedented surge of arrivals, signaling the rapid transformation of Seattle and the surrounding region.
- The Nine-Hour Day Battle in Seattle
A local mill contract sparks a tense standoff between the Carpenters' Union and Seattle contractors, testing the strength of the nascent labor movement.
- The Shame of the King County Jail
A scathing report from a grand jury reveals a 'standing disgrace' where prisoners are packed into windowless cells and the county government operates in squalid, cramped quarters.
- The Unceremonious Ousting of Chief Mitchell
After weeks of whispers regarding corruption and gambling dens, Seattle’s City Council fires the Police Chief in a move critics call 'hasty' and 'irregular.'