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1. The Women Who Refused to Look Away

   Tacoma’s most prominent ladies rally behind a betrayed young woman in court, challenging Seattle’s apathetic society to stand with her.

   Feb 21, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyScandal

2. The Suffragist in the Hall: How One Woman’s Plea Shook Washington’s Constitutional Convention

   In the sweltering heat of 1878, a delegation from Seattle petitioned the territorial convention for women's voting rights. Mrs. Dunaway was invited to speak, delivering an eloquent appeal that momentarily softened the hearts of the 'sage' delegates before the vote closed.

   Mar 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

3. The Third Time's the Charm: Tacoma Court Begins Murder Trial of Mortgage Foreclosure Killer

   William M. White faces his third trial for the fatal shooting of James McMillan over a farm dispute in the Puyallup Valley, a case that has dragged on since 1886.

   Mar 13, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

4. The Gambler’s Shield: How Seattle Saloon Keepers Dodged Mayor Moras’ Purge

   When Chief Justice Burke urged the city to revoke liquor licenses from gambling dens, the Common Council refused—citing legal technicalities and protecting the very establishments the mayor wanted shut down.

   Mar 16, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

5. The Steamer That Smuggled Opium in Sauerkraut Barrels

   A federal seizure of the Walla Walla reveals a shocking loophole: how Pacific Coast Steamship Company executives claim 'skid grease' shipments were actually opium, and why customs officials looked the other way.

   Mar 19, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · True Crime

6. The Unsolved Execution at Green River

   A lonely homesteader is found dead in the woods, his cabin undisturbed and his secrets kept, sparking a flurry of local suspicion.

   Apr 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerGreen River, Auburn, King CountyTrue Crime

7. The Mother Who Faced Down a Lynch Mob

   When a gang of miners prepared to hang a young drifter, the town laundress did the unthinkable: she claimed him as her own son.

   Apr 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

8. The Great Migration: A Boomtown at 800 People a Day

   In 1889, Washington Territory experienced an unprecedented surge of arrivals, signaling the rapid transformation of Seattle and the surrounding region.

   Apr 4, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

9. The Nine-Hour Day Battle in Seattle

   A local mill contract sparks a tense standoff between the Carpenters' Union and Seattle contractors, testing the strength of the nascent labor movement.

   Apr 5, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay

10. The Shame of the King County Jail

    A scathing report from a grand jury reveals a 'standing disgrace' where prisoners are packed into windowless cells and the county government operates in squalid, cramped quarters.

    Apr 7, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerKing County Jail, SeattleCity Hall

11. The Unceremonious Ousting of Chief Mitchell

    After weeks of whispers regarding corruption and gambling dens, Seattle’s City Council fires the Police Chief in a move critics call 'hasty' and 'irregular.'

    Apr 13, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

12. The Tragedy of a Backyard Stream

    A toddler’s unsupervised play ends in a heartbreaking drowning in a narrow irrigation ditch, highlighting the perils of a growing city.

    Apr 13, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

13. The True Cost of a 'Terminus'

    In 1889, Tacoma residents began to realize that the price of hosting the Northern Pacific Railroad’s Pacific terminal was the surrender of their civic independence.

    Apr 25, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

14. The Ex-Chief's Last Stand

    After his firing, Seattle’s police chief J.C. Mitchell fired back against Mayor Moran and the City Council, exposing a city hall scandal involving alleged gambling kickbacks and corrupt 'star chamber' politics.

    Apr 27, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCity Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

15. The Tide-Land Grab

    As Washington prepares to become a state, newspaper editors fight a shadowy campaign by land speculators to seize public tidelands before the new constitution can protect them.

    Apr 30, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

16. A New State’s Duty to Its Waterfront

    As Washington prepares for statehood, a 1889 editorial warns against allowing private interests to seize control of the public tidelands.

    May 5, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Waterfront, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

17. The Strategic Birth of the Puget Sound Navy Yard

    A government commission selects Port Orchard for a $2 million naval facility, igniting a land rush in the burgeoning suburb of Tracyton.

    May 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Orchard, Kitsap CountyBoom & Bust

18. The Peril of Volunteer Firefighters in 1889 Seattle

    As the city rapidly expands, the fire chief warns that an unpaid, disorganized volunteer force leaves Seattle’s growing wooden skyline at the mercy of every spark.

    May 24, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Fire Department, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

19. Seattle vs. The Iron Horse

    A visiting U.S. Senatorial committee prepares to hear Seattle's grievances against the Northern Pacific Railroad's monopolistic grip on regional transit.

    May 26, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerIron Horse, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

20. The Masked Intruder on the Pilchuck Farm

    A farmer finds a masked stranger in his cattle pen at midnight, leading to a fatal, chaotic confrontation that ends in a shooting and a coroner's inquiry.

    May 29, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPilchuck River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

21. The Railway War for Puget Sound

    As transcontinental railroad giants maneuver for control of Seattle’s shipping, a fierce corporate battle promises to reshape the city’s economic future.

    Jun 19, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

22. The Price of Rebuilding Seattle After the Great Fire

    As the city rises from the ashes of the 1889 Great Fire, editors urge property owners to resist the temptation of 'fire traps' and prioritize permanent, safe construction over quick profits.

    Jun 25, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

23. The Struggle for Water: Seattle’s 1889 Great Rebuilding

    While the city charred in the aftermath of the Great Fire, citizens turned their eyes to a vital, contentious civic project: building a public water system.

    Jul 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

24. The City vs. The Depot: Seattle's 1889 Eminent Domain Fight

    When the Oregon Improvement Company tried to blockade South Third Street to protect their rail interests, the city council responded that the public interest was not for sale.

    Jul 2, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerThird Street, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

25. Constitutional Convention's Tide Land Committee Draws Lobbyists

    As Seattle prepares for the constitutional convention, a fierce political tug-of-war erupts over the control of valuable tide lands.

    Jul 11, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerElliott Bay, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

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