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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 |
838 stories
- Midnight Collision on the Sound
A steam tug towing a barge is struck by an ocean-going ship in the dark of night, leaving the tug's crew scrambling for their lives.
- The Fight for the University’s Future
An editorial debate over the Territorial University’s location and future highlights the tension between Seattle’s growth and the necessity of territorial unity.
- The Unceremonious Dismissal of Chief Woolery
A police chief accused of serious misconduct walks away without a hearing, leaving Seattle residents bewildered and angry.
- The Mother Who Hunted a 'Scandalous' Actor Across the West
A persistent woman travels from Oregon to San Jose, mistakenly harassing a local journalist whom she believes is the man who ruined her daughter's life.
- The Tragedy of William Owens
A vulnerable man’s lonely trek to Seattle ends not in hope, but in the county jail and the looming shadow of the state asylum.
- The Tragedy of a Sailor’s Train-Hopping Gamble
A penniless traveler, desperate to reach San Francisco, attempts to ride a moving freight train through the Washington wilderness—with fatal consequences.
- The Cedar River Standoff
A booze-fueled construction argument at the Black Diamond coal mines turned into an armed pursuit through the woods.
- The Unflinching Defense of Mrs. Dudley
Facing a court in a high-stakes trial, a woman demands the right to testify in her own defense, challenging the gendered biases of her era.
- A Coroner’s Clash in the Coal Fields
A King County coroner disputes a secret inquest held by mine officials, sparking a public confrontation over workplace death and legal accountability.
- The Tragic Fourth of July Death of a Local Policeman
A Seattle officer lost his life in a freak horseback accident during the city's holiday celebrations, marking a somber end to the 1885 festivities.
- The Walla Walla Rebellion
A small-town municipal election ends in a landslide defeat for incumbent councilmen who dared to enforce an ordinance against public roaming.
- A Deadly Dispute at the Willapa Mill
A labor quarrel over an axe and a job assignment in Pacific County ends in a fatal stabbing.
- Seattle Pauses for the General: A City Honors Ulysses S. Grant
When word reached the Pacific Northwest that General Ulysses S. Grant had passed away, Seattle held a solemn city-wide memorial to honor the leader of the Union Army.
- Chasing the Phantom Falls: A Lost Expedition to the Cedar River
In 1885, two explorers ventured deep into the rugged wilderness above Cedar River to document the elusive, towering waterfalls known only to local legend.
- The Swindler Who Tried to Sell Insurance to a Ghost
A Seattle man attempts to scam his brother in California with a fake insurance policy, only to be outsmarted by a skeptical editor.
- The Day the Circus Rolled into Seattle
Thousands flocked to the depot in 1885 to witness the grand arrival of John Robinson’s circus, a massive production that brought exotic animals and high-wire spectacle to the nascent town.
- A Violent Dispute on the White River
A German laborer and two employees of H. C. Jefls trade blows in a roadside altercation that lands both parties in front of a judge.
- The Strange Case of Thomas Comer
A young boy's violent encounter with a woman leads to a confusing local court scene in Seattle.
- The Strange Disappearance of Nellie McNeil
After a frantic police search, a woman reported missing is discovered living in a rooming house above a local saloon.
- The 'Bijou Theater' Boxing Match Ends in a Brawl
A staged boxing match between Professor Dutchy and Phil Dawe ends in a disappointing fizzle and a near-riot when the audience suspects a fix.
- The Need for a Reform School
A local editorial argues that Seattle’s juvenile justice system is failing, treating young offenders as criminals rather than rehabilitation candidates.
- The Dogfish Oil Smuggling Ring
Federal authorities launch a crackdown on an illicit trade network that attempted to pass foreign-sourced dogfish oil as local Washington production.
- The Narrow Escape of the Passenger on the George E. Starr
While boarding a steamship at Port Gamble, a man walking along the deck slipped through an unguarded gap in the railing—highlighting the dangerous lack of safety regulations on Puget Sound vessels.
- A Near-Fatal Industrial Accident at the Oregon Improvement Mill
A mill worker is struck by a spinning iron collar, highlighting the constant physical risks faced by laborers in Seattle’s early industrial landscape.
- The Illegal Prize Fight on the River
While crowds flocked to the banks of the river in Washington Territory, authorities looked on as a brutal prizefight turned into an early-round knockout.