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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 4 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
9 stories matching hostag
- The Bank Clerk Who Stole a Quarter-Million to Prove a Point
A bank employee holds his own employer's cash hostage to force a change in labor relations and banking ethics.
- Seattle's W.H. White Takes Settlers' Case Against Railroad Land Grab
A Seattle emissary confronts the House Committee on Public Lands over the railroad's massive, multi-decade obstruction of homesteading in Washington Territory.
- Washington Territory Urges Congress to Reclaim Railroad Lands
A scathing editorial from 1886 demands the forfeiture of unearned railroad lands, accusing the Northern Pacific of holding the territory hostage for profit.
- The Town Held Hostage by the Railroad
When the Northern Pacific Railroad bypassed an established town to create a company-owned rival, the residents were left in a fight for their city’s survival.
- The Newspaper Monopoly Holding Seattle Hostage
In 1887, the Post-Intelligencer exposed a 'printing ring' between rival newspapers that artificially inflated the cost of public contracts.
- Tacoma’s Open Letter to the Railroad Monopoly
A scathing council memorial accuses the Northern Pacific Railroad of breaking its promises, stalling city growth, and holding the harbor hostage.
- The Pirates of the Pacific: When Salvage Means Plunder
A biting critique from 1886 argues that maritime 'salvage' laws in the Pacific Northwest have transformed honest sailors into modern-day pirates who hold ships hostage for ransom.
- The Price of a City’s Future: Yesler’s Corner
A single landowner held Seattle’s urban development hostage, forcing the city council to choose between private property rights and the public good.
- The Great Land Squeeze of 1885
While the Northern Pacific Railroad publicly promised to 'build up the country,' settlers in King County found their land held hostage for mineral rights and future profits.