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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 53 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 7 |
| 1860 | 13 |
| 1861 | 59 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 46 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 57 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 221 |
| 1892 | 194 |
| 1893 | 107 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 113 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 94 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 10 |
36 stories
- Fire Ravages Olympia’s Government Buildings
The Surveyor General’s office, the Land Office, and a historic church are destroyed in a devastating overnight blaze.
- Washington Territory Grants Women the Vote
After passing the House previously, the suffrage bill clears the Council, marking a historic victory for equal representation.
- Washington Celebrates Equal Suffrage
Legislators, judges, and citizens gather in Olympia to hail the territory's historic move to enfranchise women.
- The Brutal Logic of Dispossession
Governor Newell’s biennial message advocates for the total dismantling of reservations in Washington Territory to prioritize white settlers' agricultural ambitions.
- Lobbyist Admits to Bribing Lawmakers
A longtime lobbyist testifies that he received thousands of dollars from the Northern Pacific Railway to kill legislation in the Washington Territorial House.
- A Territorial Governor’s Controversial Advice
Governor William A. Newell's 1883 message to the Territorial Legislature advocates for the forced assimilation of Indigenous people and a rigid, unadorned approach to public institutions.
- Scandal at the Capital
A public altercation between a visiting 'Dean' and Olympia's Mayor leads to calls for her departure.
- The Case for Washington Statehood
A San Francisco paper argues Washington Territory has the population, wealth and schools to join the Union — and urges Congress to admit it.
- The Great Land Office Fire at Olympia
A catastrophic fire destroys essential territorial land records and plats, forcing homesteaders and pre-emption claimants to restart their filings from scratch.
- The Fight for the Schoolhouse Ballot
When women in Olympia were finally allowed to vote in a school board election, they turned out in force, defying expectations and voting for education against the grain of local political orthodoxy.
- The Fight for Washington’s Soul
Legislators clash over a proposal to split the Washington Territory, revealing deep-seated animosity between the eastern and western regions.
- The Tax Collector’s Quiet Heist in Thurston County
Assessments against “unknown owners,” doubled fees and $9,000 in illegal exactions left property titles tangled and taxpayers furious.
- Territorial Legislators Eye Rail Monopoly
A new memorial in the Washington Territorial Assembly seeks to return vast tracts of land to the public domain, citing the Northern Pacific Railroad's failure to build mandated lines.
- The Resurrection of the Big Chief
A Mud Bay man wakes from a trance to declare himself a prophet, leading hundreds of Indigenous followers into town in a solemn, chanting procession.
- Lincoln County Carved Out
Legislative battle ends in the creation of a new county despite local opposition.
- Can a Railroad Cut Timber on Public Land?
Judge Hoyt rules on the definition of 'adjacent' lands, a decision with major implications for Northern Pacific’s expansion in Washington Territory.
- The Boomtown Rhythms of Olympia
A report on the rapid industrial growth, real estate speculation, and social life transforming the capital city.
- The Struggle for an Inland Connection
Citizens of Olympia gather to fund and build a new rail line toward the Pacific to break the town's isolation.
- The Fight for a New County: Skagit vs. Whatcom
Legislative debate over splitting Whatcom County highlights the perennial struggle of managing geography and infrastructure in the growing Washington Territory.
- The Ethics of the Free Rail Pass
A territorial representative is caught accepting a railroad pass while charging the government for travel expenses, prompting a sharp rebuke on political corruption.
- The Fight to Fund the Territorial University
Legislators debate the future of education in Olympia, questioning the status of the University's land title and its academic standards.
- The Daisy of a Railroad
A skeptical journalist tours the Olympia & Tenino Railroad and finds a 'toy' line run by a one-man crew.
- A High-Stakes Footrace Challenge
Two rivals trade insults and deposit cash wagers for a sprint contest to determine the 'fastest man on the Sound.'
- The Pioneer Who Brought the First Families Over the Mountains
Remembering Mr. Sargent, who led a train of twenty-five families through Naches Pass to the Puget Sound frontier in 1852.
- The Governor’s Message and the Territorial Legislature
As the territorial assembly gathers in Olympia, lawmakers debate office furniture and hear the Governor's address—while a member from Yakima keeps his feet on the table.