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1,324 stories

  1. Rising from the Ashes: A Retail Giant’s Rebirth

    After the Great Seattle Fire destroyed their store, Toklas, Singerman Co. pledges to build a new retail empire in a city still cleaning up the soot.

    Sep 8, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

  2. After the Great Fire: A Retail Giant Rises from the Ashes

    How Seattle merchant Toklas, Singerman & Co. leveraged the trauma of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 to expand and dominate the regional market.

    Sep 9, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

  3. Seattle Firm Builds Temporary Store After Great Fire

    After the catastrophic 1889 fire destroyed their downtown store, the merchants of Toklas, Singerman & Co. share a testament of resilience and their plans for a new, larger establishment.

    Sep 11, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerGreat Seattle Fire, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

  4. The Real Estate Gentrifiers of 1889

    A bold advertisement from the Post-Intelligencer lists the city’s power brokers as the first investors in a new development, explicitly using their status to sell land to the aspiring middle class.

    Sep 14, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

  5. The Unlucky Blacksmith of Front Street

    A routine building project in early Seattle ends in a chaotic tumble as a blacksmith shop collapses, sending tools and timber into the thoroughfare.

    Sep 21, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyDisasters

  6. The Laundry Day Mix-up

    A young immigrant from Wisconsin makes a frantic dash through Second Street in a desperate attempt to retrieve a $100 bill sewn into his undershirt.

    Sep 30, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSecond Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

  7. The Wheelbarrow Penance

    A local landlord settles a lost election wager by wheeling his attorney through the streets of Yakima to the tune of a brass band.

    Nov 7, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima Avenue, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

  8. Promoting the New State

    An editorial from the Snohomish Sun argues that Washington must attract specific types of settlers to achieve its full potential as a state.

    Nov 14, 1889The Yakima HeraldSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

  9. The Day the Sow Ate the News

    A small-town editor explains why his paper missed a week: a red sow, a keg of ink, and a very narrow escape.

    Jun 14, 1889The Mason County JournalShelton, Mason CountyStrange But True

  10. An Electrifying Encounter at the Drug Store

    A Seattlite's bonnet catches fire, leading to a rather unconventional rescue by an observant clerk.

    Jul 12, 1889The Mason County JournalSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  11. The True Cost of a Found Five-Dollar Gold Piece

    A local man's sudden windfall leads to a cautionary tale of impulsive spending that quickly outstripped his luck.

    Jul 26, 1889The Mason County JournalShelton, Mason CountyStrange But True

  12. The Grass Isn't Always Greener in Indiana

    A young couple leaves Shelton for the Midwest, only to find themselves struggling and desperate to return to Washington.

    Aug 23, 1889The Mason County JournalShelton, Mason CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

  13. A Massive New Iron Works to Rise at Elliott Bay

    The Seattle Iron and Steel Manufacturing Company unveils ambitious plans for a large-scale foundry and manufacturing plant.

    Jul 18, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerElliott Bay waterfront, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

  14. A Perilous Encounter in Wide Hollow

    A woman is severely injured after an encounter with an enraged animal on her property.

    May 9, 1889The Yakima HeraldWide Hollow, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

  15. The Grassroots Call for Statehood

    Before Washington was a state, its residents organized informal, spirited conventions to demand entry into the Union.

    Jan 5, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerEllensburg, Kittitas CountyCity Hall

  16. Explosion Levels Snohomish Sawmill

    A boiler failure leads to a total loss of property at the Day Brothers' operation, with recovery plans already in motion.

    Jul 21, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

  17. The Jailbreak That Almost Toppled the Penitentiary

    A clever prisoner uses his talent for locksmithing to craft duplicate keys, nearly sparking a mass escape at the Walla Walla prison.

    Aug 24, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWashington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyTrue Crime

  18. The Unspeakable Theft: A Seattle Victorian Scandal

    A young bride-to-be suffers from a mysterious, compulsive urge to steal, forcing a wealthy family to confront the era's cruel morality regarding mental health.

    Sep 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

  19. Yakima Attorney Makes the Case for State Capital

    A prominent local attorney explains why Yakima should be the new capital of Washington Territory.

    Aug 29, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

  20. A Noble Fight, but Olympia Takes the First Round

    North Yakima finished second in Washington's first state capital election, with no city winning a majority—setting up a bitter rematch and a referendum on railroad-town politics.

    Oct 3, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

  21. The Passing of Yakima City’s Founder

    Charles Schanno, a pioneer who arrived 23 years ago, dies at 66 leaving a legacy of city-building.

    Mar 14, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima City, Yakima, Yakima CountyBoom & Bust

  22. The Hop-Harvest Pilgrimage

    Indigenous families return to Shelton after their seasonal work in the Puyallup hop fields.

    Oct 11, 1889The Mason County JournalShelton, Mason CountyExclusion & Resistance

  23. The Parrot Who Caused a Collision

    A mischievous pet parrot in a remote station house triggers a fatal train collision by imitating a telephone order.

    Dec 12, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyDisasters

  24. The Rapid Transformation of Pioneer Square

    A weekly ledger of building permits reveals a city under construction, capturing the final boom years before the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

    Aug 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPioneer Square, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

  25. The Bold Burglars of Front Street

    A brazen daylight robbery at the home of Mr. Charles Hopkins leaves a family missing jewelry, cash, and a return ticket to Portland.

    Jan 4, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

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