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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 |
1,324 stories
- The Great Courthouse Location Battle
Prominent citizens join a protest against building the new county courthouse on a high hill that is inaccessible and inconvenient.
- Passing of Kotiocken, Son of Kamiakin
The death of a Yakima Indian leader highlights the ongoing tensions regarding assimilation and the encroachment of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Great Constitutional Gamble: How Washington Will Become a State
With the enabling act signed, the territory prepares for a historic election in May to frame a constitution. The clock is ticking toward July 1st, when delegates will meet in Olympia to decide the fate of the new state.
- The Fight Over Corporate Subsidies in the 1889 State Constitution
Delegates at the Washington Constitutional Convention engage in a heated debate over whether counties should be allowed to use public tax money to subsidize private railroad construction.
- Washington's 1889 Convention Debates Land Ownership, Bribery
Delegates in Olympia debate alien land rights and anti-bribery measures for the new state charter.
- The Tragedy at White Ash Mine
Ten miners are trapped in a flooded colliery with little hope of rescue, sparking a somber realization for local families.
- The Path to Statehood: Washington Territory Prepares for Union
Congressional mandate sets the stage for a constitutional convention, marking the end of territorial status and the beginning of Washington as a state.
- Drafting Washington's Founding Charter
Delegates at the constitutional convention debate the future of the state, including voting rights, tide lands, and the location of the capital.
- The Birth of Washington's Constitutional Rights
A historic publication of the 1889 Washington State Constitution, establishing the foundational rights and governance that define the state's civic character.
- Washington Territory’s Constitutional Era Ends
After forty-two days of deliberation in Olympia, the convention to establish a state constitution has adjourned, paving the way for statehood.
- The State Stakes Its Claim on the Shoreline
Washington Territory’s new constitution asserts public control over tide lands and navigable waters, setting a precedent for state ownership of the coast.
- Navy Yard Confirmed for Port Orchard
A Congressional commission ends deliberation on the Pacific Coast site, settling on Kitsap County.
- The Man Who Chased a Dream and Broke His Leg
Nick Haley’s delirious pursuit of an imaginary kidnapper led him out a second-story window—a bizarre accident that highlights the strange intersection of mental health, domestic anxiety, and medical care in early Seattle.
- From Embers to Empire: The Resilience of the Port Blakely Mill
When fire destroyed the massive Port Blakely sawmill in 1888, the company didn't just rebuild—they turned it into the largest, most productive operation on Puget Sound.
- Ellensburg Convention Pushes Washington Statehood in 1889
Delegates gathered in Ellensburg in 1889 to demand admission into the Union, arguing that the territory had matured into a self-sustaining, prosperous commonwealth.
- The Nine-Hour Day: Seattle Carpenters and Contractors Strike a Deal
In a rare moment of labor harmony, the Seattle Building Trades Union and local contractors have agreed to reduce the workday from ten to nine hours while maintaining wages, setting a precedent for the city's construction industry.
- The Great Washington Delay: How Congress Stalled Statehood for a Political Game
In January 1889, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an 'Omnibus Bill' to admit four territories as states, but fierce partisan fighting over Dakota and Montana left Washington Territory in limbo—delaying its entry into the Union by nearly two years.
- The Governor’s Gambit: Why Washington’s Leader Refused to Send Troops to Strike Miners
In the heat of a labor dispute in Roslyn, Gov. Henry M. Temple argues that calling out the military is a last resort, while local officials clash over the legality of using armed citizens as police.
- The Great Statehood Gamble: Why Washington Was Left Behind While South Dakota Joined the Union
As North Yakima pushes for an independent convention and Congress favors executive proclamation for other territories, Seattle’s leaders warn that the 'omnibus bill' is actively discriminating against Washington's path to statehood.
- The Sheriff Who Stood Alone: Cochrane’s Standoff with Federal Deputies
King County Sheriff Sidney S. Cochrane defied U.S. Marshals at the Oregon Improvement Company’s Newcastle coal mine, sparking a local crisis that ended only when federal and state authorities refused to back his arrest.
- The Man Who Wrote His Name Twice: How J.C. Haines Cleared His Name in Seattle
A federal jury in New York has acquitted Colonel Haines of opium conspiracy charges, vindicating the prominent Washington Territory lawyer and Republican leader against a politically motivated plot.
- The Great Car Tax: How a Treasury Order Threatened Seattle’s Rail Lifeline
A new federal duty on foreign railroad cars threatens to strangle trade between the Pacific Northwest and the East, sparking fears of economic isolation for Washington Territory.
- The Father of Walla Walla's Nurseries Dies
Philip Kite, the territorial delegate who helped bring the Northern Pacific Railroad to the Northwest and built a massive horticultural empire, has died at age 81.
- The Governor’s Dilemma: Can Washington Skip Congress to Become a State?
Territory’s top lawyers clash over whether the Governor can unilaterally call a constitutional convention to bypass federal delays in statehood.
- The Seduction of a Judge: Wickersham Indicted in Tacoma
Territorial Grand Jury Returns True Bill Against Probate Judge James Wickersham for Alleged Seduction of Miss Sadie C. Brantuar; He Arraigned and Given Until Noon to Plead.