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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
- Be Your Own Landlord: The 1889 Dream of Homeownership
An early Seattle building society promised a path to middle-class stability, urging residents to stop paying rent and start buying into their own homes.
- The Secret Millionaire of West Seattle
How a San Francisco journal saw the promise of Seattle’s 'West End' before the city was fully grown.
- The Mysterious Grapefruit’s Debut in Seattle
Before the grapefruit was a breakfast staple, local merchants were mystified by the 'shaddock,' a strange, fickle fruit that could leave an unsuspecting eater with a sour face.
- The Shadow of the Giants: A Victorian Obsession with Stature
A century before global social media, Seattle newspaper readers were served serialized curiosities about the world's 'tallest men'—a blend of anthropological fact, tall tales, and traveling circus spectacle.
- The Grim Calculus of Tragedy
An 1888 editorial attempts to rank the world's most catastrophic events, reflecting the era's fixation on measuring the scale of human loss.
- Planting the Seed in 'Germany'
A century-old account of missionaries in Japan and their long-term project to shift the cultural landscape of the East.
- The Miracle Metal of the Future
An 1889 report speculates on the dawn of the 'Aluminum Age,' predicting a world transformed by the lightweight, non-tarnishing wonder metal.
- The Logging Camp’s Oldest Hand
At 72, Richard Burnham remains one of the toughest laborers in the logging camps, defying the assumption that youth is a requirement for heavy work.
- The Great Seattle Hop Rush of 1889
As harvest season peaks in the shadow of the Great Seattle Fire, a local firm attempts to manage the precarious trade of Washington hops to the London market.
- The Promised Land on the Snake River
A speculative real estate venture in 1889 promised that Pasco—the 'Gate City of the Northwestern Empire'—would soon be the greatest railroad hub in the West.
- The Miracle Medicine of 1889
A local Colonel claims a miraculous recovery from pneumonia, sparking a business opportunity for the city's druggists.
- The Last Stand of the Payallup Valley
As Seattle’s building boom explodes and land prices skyrocket, a quiet corner of King County faces its own real estate frenzy—where lots vanish before deeds are even signed.
- The Boomtown Hype of Queen Anne Hill
A classic 19th-century real estate advertisement paints a dream of rapid transit and prosperity on Seattle’s growing northern skyline.
- The Dream of Ownership in 1886 Seattle
A real estate advertisement from 1886 captures the enduring promise—and pressure—of the Seattle housing market.
- The Real Estate Pitch That Conquered West Seattle
A booster-era advertisement uses high-flown, flowery prose to compare the views of West Seattle to the Swiss Alps, aiming to sell lots in a burgeoning new neighborhood.
- The 'Golden Eagle' Store's Grand Opening Promises to Sweep Seattle
A new clothing house sets up shop on Front and Seneca, promising low prices, quality goods, and free souvenirs to all who visit their grand opening.
- The Price of Meat and the Cost of Labor
An 1889 market report reveals how a massive influx of laborers into Seattle was driving up the local meat market and straining supply chains.
- The Waterfront Hustle: A Snapshot of 1888 Seattle
Before the skyscrapers, the heart of Seattle was a chaotic symphony of coal, salmon, and stone as the city scrambled to build its future.
- The Price of a 'Pigs in Clover' Puzzle
A Seattle mercantile house teases the latest nationwide fad—the 'Pigs in Clover' dexterity game—as the city's retail scene gears up for spring shopping.
- A City Pauses to Remember: Seattle's 1889 Memorial Day
Mayor Robert Moran calls on the frontier city to close its doors and honor the fallen as the Grand Army of the Republic marks the 21st anniversary of Decoration Day.
- Washington’s Hidden Bounty: The Oat Capital of 1889
Newly released federal statistics highlight the massive agricultural potential of Washington Territory, crowning it as the nation's premier producer of oats.
- The Hustle of the 1889 Waterfront
Before the skyline, Seattle's heartbeat was the chaotic, cargo-filled rhythm of the piers and the brick-laden schooners arriving from Portland.
- The Day Seattle Put on Its Holiday Mask
As the nation prepares for Grover Cleveland’s final inauguration, local officials are busy draping Jackson Street in bunting and erecting viewing stands, turning a small Pacific Northwest town into a temporary stage for American democracy.
- The Tragedy of the Pigeon-Toed Dude
A brief, biting observation from the Seattle Press on the shifting aesthetics of late 19th-century masculinity and fashion.