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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
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| 1863 | 3 |
| 1865 | 1 |
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| 1876 | 16 |
| 1877 | 15 |
| 1878 | 14 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
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29 stories matching balanc
- The Great Statehood Gamble: How Washington Territory Bet Its Future on a Coin Flip
In February 1889, Congress passed the 'Omnibus Bill' granting statehood to four territories simultaneously. For Seattle and Tacoma, this wasn't just political news—it was a high-stakes gamble that would determine their city limits, tax structures, and place in history.
- The Political Gamble of Statehood
As Washington prepares to enter the Union, party operatives sweat over the balance of power in Congress.
- Vigilante Warning Issued After Arson Attempt in Pasco
A deliberate attempt to torch a local saloon has the community threatening swift, extrajudicial justice against 'fire bugs'.
- A Father’s Tragic Fall at the Vancouver Barracks
While working in the tower of the government water works, an engineer slipped and fell to his death in full view of his son.
- Spokane Falls Wiped Out by Catastrophic Blaze
A massive fire destroys the heart of Spokane, leveling banks and landmarks while the city's future hangs in the balance.
- The Great Seattle Land Rush of 1886
While the city's population surged, land agents flooded the newspapers with ads promising cheap fortunes in the newly platted additions of Seattle.
- Washington’s Constitutional Convention Gridlock
Delegates in Olympia struggle to write the state's governing document while balancing partisan interests and local industrial needs.
- The Price of Ownership: Seattle’s 1888 Delinquent Tax List
A sprawling registry of property owners, from the prominent to the 'Unknown,' failing to pay their dues during Seattle’s rapid expansion.
- The Fight Over Corporate Liability
Prominent businessmen gather at the courthouse to debate if shareholders should be personally liable for corporate debts.
- The Making of a Suburb
A speculative land development project christened 'Sunnyside' promises a model residential section and a dedicated site for a state capital.
- The Promised Land at the Confluence
A high-stakes real estate pitch from 1889 promises investors a fortune as Pasco positions itself as the 'Gate City' of the Pacific Northwest.
- 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 Call to Abolish the Jury System
A territorial editor argues that the jury system is a cumbersome obstacle to justice in a lawless frontier.
- Drafting Washington’s State Constitution
As the Constitutional Convention approaches its one-month mark, delegates race to finalize the blueprint for the future state, balancing high-minded debate with emotional politicking.
- The City of Checks and Balances
A Seattle man is indicted for a $2,160 forgery spree, while a local police officer’s sudden wealth—and his suggestion that he made it smuggling opium—becomes a matter of intense public curiosity.
- The Real Estate Gold Rush: How West Seattle’s ‘Cream of the Cream’ Was Sold to the Highest Bidders
In February 1889, developers Fargre and Sander were selling off lots in West Seattle for as little as $25 down, promising fortunes from a plateau that was then little more than mud and ambition.
- The Seattle Fire and the Street-Widening Battle
Following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city grapples with the high cost of progress, property rights, and the urgent need for a more resilient, accessible city plan.
- 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.
- The Swing Chorus: How Seattle’s Elite Turned a Concert into a Tropical Fantasy
At Frye’s Opera House in 1903, the Harmony Club staged a bizarre and beautiful musical revue featuring twenty-six young women swinging on hammocks and teeter-totters, proving that Seattle society was ready for something new.
- The Test Case for Chinese Exclusion
As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear the Chae Chan Ping case, the lives and property rights of Chinese laborers in Washington hang in the balance.
- 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.
- The Doctor’s Bill vs. The Cure: A Colfax Family’s War on Typhoid
When typhoid fever struck a household in Colfax, Washington, one family claims their conventional medical treatment failed—until they turned to the 'hygeic' system of Dr. Glover.
- 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.
- The Renton Addition Gold Rush
Before the neighborhood existed, Seattle land speculators stoked a frenzy for 'prime' lots along Madison Street, capping sales to prevent a total buyout on the first day.
- The Great Seattle Land Rush: West Seattle and Lake Union Lots Vanish in Days
As the city expands beyond its original hills, developers are selling off prime waterfront real estate at bargain prices before the next boom hits.