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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 4 |
| 1860 | 2 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 13 |
| 1877 | 13 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 22 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 16 |
| 1887 | 14 |
| 1888 | 13 |
| 1889 | 39 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 29 |
| 1892 | 130 |
| 1893 | 125 |
| 1894 | 78 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 5 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1900 | 4 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 59 |
| 1904 | 41 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 37 |
| 1910 | 21 |
| 1911 | 15 |
| 1912 | 6 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 10 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 4 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 4 |
| 1928 | 1 |
39 stories matching despit
- Washington’s Constitution Takes Shape Amid Chaos
As Spokane Falls burns, the state’s constitutional delegates pivot from catastrophe to the fiery debate over regulating railroads and monopolies.
- The Paving of Second Street
A pivotal public works project in 1889 captures a city in the midst of rapid transformation.
- Heroic Efforts Save Mill from Raging Forest Fire
A forest fire in the mountains above Dayton decimated one mill, while employees fought flames with water and back-firing techniques to save a second property.
- 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.
- 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 Great Firemen's Brawl of 1889
A regional firefighting tournament in Tacoma dissolved into a chaotic dispute over prize money, accused dictators, and local pride, forcing Seattle firemen to offer a do-over on home turf.
- The Skokomish Jubilee
Hundreds of Indigenous people from across the region gather for a major tribal assembly, despite the perils of travel.
- The Bureaucratic Limbo of Chinese Laborers in Transit
A legal opinion from the Attorney General clarifies the treatment of Chinese laborers attempting to pass through U.S. ports, stalling those stuck in New Orleans.
- Uproar Over the Removal of the Yakima Agency
Local outrage mounts as the federal government ousts an Indian agent despite tribal protests.
- A Gunsmith’s Final Misfire
A lifelong firearms expert and pioneer gunsmith meets a tragic, accidental end at his home near Shelton.
- The Great King County Land Scandal
An anonymous critique exposes rampant corruption and reckless assessment in the early days of King County’s real estate boom.
- The Great Ellensburg Fire
While Yakima celebrated the Fourth of July, a neighbor city fell to a devastating, likely incendiary blaze.
- The Great Seattle Rebuild After the Fire
Construction crews rush to replace the city’s burned-out downtown with brick and iron blocks before the end of the year.
- The Great Seattle Real Estate Boom of 1888
A meticulously logged list of land deeds from the final days of 1888 reveals a city in the throes of explosive growth, with rapid development radiating outward from the central business district.
- The Political Circus at the Armory
A rowdy King County Republican convention reveals the deep divisions and high-stakes maneuvering behind the scenes of Washington's impending statehood.
- The Tragic Cost of Seattle's Growth: The Death of C. Toellner
A tragic train accident at the Grant Street Bridge exposes the perils of Seattle’s rapidly expanding infrastructure in the late 1880s.
- Passenger Train Derails Near Walla Walla
An engineer is severely scalded after a train crashes through a bridge near Riparia, prompting insurance agents to offer a reward for arsonists.
- The Prizefighter’s Penance: John L. Sullivan in Seattle
After his high-profile prizefight in the Pacific Northwest, boxing legend John L. Sullivan faces a harsh judicial reality in a Seattle courtroom.
- Seattle Council Accused in 1889 Tide Land Dispute
Tensions boil over at the Washington State Constitutional Convention as delegates clash over who owns the city’s waterfront—the people or the speculators.
- Tragic Workplace Death at Orcas Island Quarry
A laborer from Michigan is struck and killed by a falling rock at an island stone quarry, leaving a grieving family behind.
- The Great Seattle Fire: Building a City from Ash and Embers
In the immediate aftermath of the devastating 1889 fire that leveled the city’s business district, Seattle residents and property owners rush to clear the smoldering ruins and plan a more substantial, brick-built future.
- The Seattle Boom in Black and White: 1889
A look at the sheer volume of commerce flowing through Seattle's docks and rails just weeks after the Great Seattle Fire, showcasing a city obsessed with growth, brick, and iron.
- 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.
- The Unsolvable Scandal of the Seattle Court
After a grand jury fails to find evidence in a high-profile case, a federal judge challenges the city’s legal elite to stop gossiping and file a formal charge.
- 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.