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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 |
440 stories
- The 1888 Seattle Lottery for Homeownership
A classic speculative land scheme promised five free cottages to lucky buyers, fueling the rapid expansion of Seattle's residential map.
- Seattle's Cow Pasture Problem
A local resident argues that Seattle cannot be a beautiful city of lawns and shade trees while the streets remain nothing more than open grazing grounds for cattle and horses.
- The Shipyard That Moved: How Hall Brothers Brought 500 Jobs to Seattle
As the nation debates tariffs and statehood, a major industrial shift is reshaping Seattle's economy. The country's largest shipbuilding firm has relocated its operations here, promising an immediate influx of workers and capital.
- The Pullman Fairgrounds Tragedy
A young man faces the gallows for a fatal shooting at the local fairgrounds, marking a dark chapter in the town's history.
- The Great Freight War: Tacoma vs. Seattle
Seattle merchants accuse the Pacific Coast Steamship Company of deliberately starving the city of goods to favor rival Tacoma, sparking a public dispute over civic equity and economic survival.
- The Boomtown That Expected to Be 'The Next San Francisco'
In 1888, the 'Key City' of Port Townsend was so convinced of its impending status as a transcontinental rail terminus that it began feverishly selling off the entire landscape.
- The Passing of the Duke of York
The leader of the Clallam people, a historic figure and friend to early pioneers, dies in Port Townsend with plans for a monument in his honor.
- The 'Citizen's Meeting' Takes Control of Seattle
A reform-minded coalition unseats the previous administration, pledging to clean up the city and install respectable leadership in the police department.
- The Tragedy at the Corral: A Fatal Dispute in the Pioneer Era
A violent confrontation over a cattle dispute in rural Washington territory leaves one dead and exposes the raw edges of frontier justice.
- The Anti-Chinese Laundry Campaign
Local newspaper editors in 1888 openly called for the displacement of Chinese laundry workers, framing their exclusion as a 'great need' for the town.
- The Senate’s Betrayal: A Treaty That Gave Away Seattle’s Future
A scathing Senate report warns that the new fisheries treaty with Britain surrenders American fishing rights and invites foreign control over Pacific waters.
- The Mayor Who Refused to Apologize: A Retiring Councilman’s Bold Farewell
In a rare display of civic integrity, R.C. Macon tells Seattle's City Council he has 'no apologies to make' for his tenure, setting the stage for a contentious battle over the city clerkship.
- The Queen City’s Timber Heart: Inside Seattle’s Lumber Boom
A detailed look at the seven sawmills powering Seattle’s growth, the wages of the men who cut them, and a massive waterfront land deal that signals the city's future.
- The Fire Limit Fiasco: How Seattle’s Elite Dodged Safety Codes
While the city arrested drunks and fined sailors for minor infractions, two prominent developers built a frame house right inside the fire zone—and got away with it.
- The Day the Republic Won: Whitman County’s Political Earthquake
In the wake of Benjamin Harrison’s narrow presidential victory, Whitman County voters delivered a landslide for the GOP, sweeping county offices and signaling a new era for Pullman and the Palouse.
- The Twin Separation: A Seattle Reunion After 32 Years
Separated as infants and lost to the winds of time, two sisters find each other in Seattle through a chance resemblance and a neighbor's intuition.
- The Mugwump’s Reward: Olympia’s Postmaster Scandal
A controversial appointment of W.A. Newell as pension agent sparks outrage in the state capital, revealing deep political fractures and accusations of patronage.
- The Great Loggers' Strike: How Seattle's Timber Barons Tried to Fix Prices by Cutting Supply
In June 1903, the Puget Sound Logger’s Association voted to slash timber output by one-third to prop up falling prices, revealing the fragile power of early labor and industry cartels in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Great Road War: How Kitsap County Bribed Its Way to Steal Seattle’s Trade
While Seattle merchants sneer at their neighbors, a secret fund has been raised in Olympia to build a direct road from Olalla to the Sound, bypassing Tacoma and threatening Seattle's commercial dominance.
- The Fire That Never Was: How Seattle’s Insurance Panic Saved the City
When two insurance executives declared Seattle a 'death trap' of combustible trash, they triggered a civic cleanup that lowered premiums and saved countless buildings from the flames that had already destroyed much of the city.
- The Great Hall Swells: Democrats Gather for Their First Convention
A torrent of humanity floods the exposition hall as the national Democratic party begins its proceedings, with New York delegates plotting their strategic withdrawal.
- The Empty Vault: How the Pioneers' Association Went Broke
A financial audit of the Washington Territorial Association reveals a treasury with no money and a membership list full of ghosts, raising questions about the future of Seattle's oldest civic society.
- The Landlord's Coup: A Woman’s Restaurant Seized by Force
In a bold display of property rights and gender dynamics in 1888 Seattle, Mrs. Mary Ostedberg took to the justice court after William Brown forcibly evicted her from the St. Elmo restaurant she had leased.
- The Land Baron Who Never Was: The Bizarre Legal Saga of Burke's Second Addition
A territorial secretary’s attempt to claim land in Seattle collapsed when it was revealed that the man who actually bought the property had already died years ago.
- The $500 Fine for Keeping a 'Bad' House: Seattle's War on Vice and the Women of Yesler Way
In the early days of Seattle, police didn't just arrest prostitutes; they targeted the property owners who housed them. A recent court case reveals the financial stakes of the city's moral crusade.