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1. The Great Gambling Raid That Never Was

   A power struggle between Seattle's Mayor and his Police Chief leads to a failed raid, secret deals, and a very public scandal.

   Apr 10, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

2. The Great Port Townsend Customs Scandal

   A federal grand jury uncovers a decade-long scheme of extortion and record-tampering at the Port Townsend custom house, where officials pocketed fees and forced local shipping firms to play along.

   Apr 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCustom House, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · True Crime

3. The Unceremonious Ousting of Seattle's Police Chief

   After refusing to answer for rampant gambling and open corruption, Chief J.C. Mitchell is fired by the city council as the city pivots toward long-overdue municipal reform.

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

4. The Decades-Long Battle for the McAleer Tract Ends in Court

   After years of tangled legal claims, Judge Hanford rules against the McAleer heirs, clearing the way for new development on a large, vacant stretch of land once visible from the old Lake Washington cable cars.

   Apr 21, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

5. The Rescued Souls of the Denmark

   After the steamer Denmark founders at sea, survivors arrive in Washington, offering a glimpse of the harrowing endurance of 1889 sea travel.

   Apr 23, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

6. The Great Seattle Tide-Land Grab

   Powerful corporate interests are organizing to seize Seattle’s valuable waterfront, leaving citizens and commerce at the mercy of speculators.

   Apr 24, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Waterfront, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

7. Seattle's 1889 Fight Over Tide Flats and Docks

   As Washington prepares for statehood, a contentious battle emerges over who owns—and who profits from—the valuable tide lands bordering Seattle.

   Apr 28, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Waterfront, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

8. A Deadly Afternoon on the Duwamish

   A quiet afternoon of target practice turns into a desperate race for survival as a husband accidentally shoots his wife, triggering a high-speed rescue down the river.

   Apr 30, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerDuwamish River, Seattle, King County

9. The Great 'Broad Gauge' Railway Riot

   When two rival railroad companies turned the Seattle tideflats into a battlefield, hundreds of hired hands and lawyers clashed over a single strip of land.

   May 4, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

10. The Groom Who Didn't Exist

    A jilted lover's lawsuit in the Lewis River country unravels a bizarre family scheme to pass a son off as a different man to save the family farm from seizure.

    May 5, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerKalama, Cowlitz CountyScandal

11. Tragedy in Tacoma: The Sudden Collapse of a New Building

    A newly constructed building on Tacoma Avenue falls, leaving the community reeling and survivors in critical condition.

    May 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

12. The Confidence Man of Madison Street

    A charismatic stranger built a house in Seattle, charmed local investors, and pulled off a sophisticated bank fraud that left the city stunned.

    May 26, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMadison Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

13. The Narrow Escape of Mr. Browne

    A prominent Seattleite faces a targeted arson attempt at his residence, marking the second such attack in a wave of local intimidation.

    May 28, 1889The Seattle Post-Intelligencer907 4th Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

14. After the Great Fire: Seattle’s Hard-Won Resilience

    Days after the fire of 1889 decimated the city, the community faces mass homelessness and a desperate need for labor while relying on neighboring cities for support.

    Jun 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyHousing & Rent · Disasters

15. After the Fire, A New Blueprint for Seattle

    When the flames destroyed the commercial district, city leaders fought to enforce strict building codes to prevent a repeat of the disaster.

    Jun 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerYesler Avenue, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Disasters

16. From the Ashes of the Great Seattle Fire

    A desperate plea for resilience and community support in the days following the catastrophic 1889 fire that leveled the city’s business district.

    Jun 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerGreat Seattle Fire, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

17. The Great Reconstruction Logjam

    Following the 1889 fire, a desperate, city-wide shortage of building materials and poor infrastructure leaves Seattle’s recovery stalled.

    Jun 20, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

18. The Great Seattle Rebuild: Rethinking Fire Safety After the Ashes

    In the wake of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, experts and local leaders scramble to replace wooden tinderboxes with new, fireproof standards and modern building codes.

    Jun 20, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Disasters

19. The Rebuilding of Seattle

    A desperate plea to voters in 1889 to elect leaders who could manage the massive, necessary reconstruction of a city decimated by fire.

    Jun 21, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFirst Avenue, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

20. The Great Seattle Fire: A Call to Rebuild

    In the shadow of the 1889 Great Seattle Fire, a local editor calls for unity, resilience, and an end to public complaining as the city begins the monumental task of reconstruction.

    Jun 26, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerGreat Seattle Fire, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

21. The Great Rebuilding: Seattle’s Post-Fire Lumber Rush

    In the wake of the 1889 Great Seattle Fire, the local lumber trade faces an unprecedented surge in demand as thousands rush to rebuild, signaling a massive shift in the city’s economy and labor market.

    Jul 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMill Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

22. The Great Reconstruction: Seattle’s Waterfront Rises from the Ashes

    Less than a month after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city’s wharves are a hive of frantic, round-the-clock labor to restore the vital commerce of the Pacific.

    Jul 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWaterfront, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

23. Seattle's Burnt District Rebuilds in Brick After 1889 Fire

    Following the Great Seattle Fire, the city's burnt district transforms as brick blocks replace wooden ruins and the city plans for a modern infrastructure.

    Jul 4, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBallard, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

24. The Palouse Massacre: A Family Destroyed by Religious Mania

    A farmer takes his own life after killing his wife and children in a brutal religious mania, leaving a chilling note behind.

    Jul 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFarmington, Whitman CountyTrue Crime

25. Walla Walla Devastated by Lower Main Street Blaze

    A massive fire wipes out a half-block of wooden buildings, revealing the city's total lack of adequate firefighting equipment.

    Jul 13, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Disasters

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