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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 |
130 stories
- The Real Estate Boom of 1881
A local column notes the rapidly inflating property values in Seattle, documenting how land changed hands for thousands in gold coin within a single year.
- The Treacherous Eddies of Anacortes
A boating trip on the Skagit river turns into a desperate struggle for survival when a squall capsizes a local family.
- The Tragedy at the Simon Newman Store
A violent confrontation at a local trading post ends in a coroner's verdict of justifiable homicide.
- The Seattle Housing Crunch of 1882
When an influx of new residents left travelers sleeping in the streets, local leaders looked to the 'building association' model to solve the shortage.
- A Massive New Landmark for Seattle
Construction begins on a state-of-the-art Catholic hospital, featuring the city’s first steam elevator and a futuristic ventilation system to serve the rapidly growing region.
- The Seattle Boom of 1882
An economic report reveals that property assessments in Seattle have jumped 150 percent in just three months, cementing the city's status as the wealthiest on the Pacific coast north of California.
- The Waterfront Pay Strike of 1882
A Seattle longshoreman calls out the steamship company for wage stagnation and abysmal working conditions, demanding a living wage for the dangerous work of loading the S.S. Geo. W. Elder.
- The Building Boom of 1882
While Seattle today faces a housing supply crisis, this 1882 report details a rapid expansion period where 105 new buildings were erected in a single year, aiming to make the city more attractive to the outside world.
- Gould’s Shadow Over Seattle’s Rails
Speculation mounts as a new company launches to link Seattle to Walla Walla and Baker City, signaling a major power move by Jay Gould to claim Puget Sound as a rail terminal.
- Bridging the Divide: The Quest to Unite Washington Territory
In 1882, residents and leaders were grappling with the geographic and cultural chasm between the rugged, booming Puget Sound and the burgeoning Eastern Washington region.
- The Mystery of the Ice-Forming Caves
A scientific inquiry into why midsummer ice forms in the lava tunnels of the Washington wilderness.
- The Catholic Surge: How a Small Rented Room Became Seattle’s Most Valuable Religious Institution
In 1882, the Post-Intelligencer takes aim at the rapid expansion of the Catholic Church in Seattle, contrasting its booming wealth and new construction with the stagnation of Protestant denominations.
- The Tragedy at the Medicine Bottle: A Seattle Child’s Fatal Mistake
In a heartbreaking incident that has gripped the community, three-year-old Howard Pontius drank from what he thought was a treat, but was actually his mother’s morphine prescription for a cold.
- The Empire State of the West
An influential New York academic turns down California dreams to bet on the future of Washington Territory.
- Drunken Longshoreman Saved from Seattle’s Docks
After stumbling off the Main Street wharf, a local laborer’s immense voice narrowly saves him from drowning in the harbor.
- The Seattle-Tacoma Rivalry
A bold wager between cities exposes the intense competition for the region's first major railroad connection.
- The Bold Bet of Captain Brittain
After selling off his aging fleet of steamboats, a local captain risks his fortune on a custom-built, high-speed vessel to claim the future of Puget Sound transit.
- The City’s ‘Losings-Bank’: A Temperance Sermon on Economic Ruin
In an 1881 sermon at Plymouth Church, a local minister argues that Seattle’s rampant saloon culture—not market forces—is the primary engine of financial instability.
- The Price of a Public Nuisance
A man dubbed 'Dirty Smith' faces the magistrate and finds himself working off his debt to society on the city’s construction projects.
- The Vagrant and the 'Iron Jewelry'
A petty theft on the Duwamish River lands a drifter in a Seattle jail, where he must trade his freedom for hard labor.
- The Perils of the Domestic Ideal
A satirical poem from 1882 paints a brutal portrait of the 'married life' trap awaiting the youth of frontier Seattle.
- The Great Liquor Heist: A Partner Vanishes with $2,000 of Goods
In a mystery that baffled Seattle's wholesale liquor trade in April 1882, one partner opens the store to find the stock largely gone, while his business associate has fled town without a word.
- The Unbuilt Railroad That Was Meant to Change Seattle Forever
In 1882, Seattle business leaders were desperate for a direct rail connection to Walla Walla, believing their city’s future prosperity hinged on punching a line through the Snoqualmie Pass.
- Midnight Hijack on the Coal Wharf
A steamship steward is drugged and robbed in the dark, highlighting the dangers lurking on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Garden Valley of the Territory
A correspondent ventures up the White River to survey the booming hops trade, the friction between farmers and the local cheese factory, and the desperate need for a railroad.