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1. A Holiday Horse Raffle

   A local man wins big at a Christmas horse raffle, walking away with two animals and a tidy profit.

   Dec 26, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyNightlife

2. A New State’s Duty to Its Waterfront

   As Washington prepares for statehood, a 1889 editorial warns against allowing private interests to seize control of the public tidelands.

   May 5, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Waterfront, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

3. Republicans Prepare for Crucial Election Campaign

   Party leaders warn of a 'still hunt' by Democrats to flip Washington and Montana.

   Jul 19, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

4. The Nine-Hour Day: Seattle Carpenters Win Shorter Hours and Wage Hike

   After months of negotiation, the city's carpenters have secured a landmark agreement reducing the workday from ten to nine hours while maintaining pay rates, signaling a shift in labor power during Seattle’s boom years.

   Mar 10, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay

5. The Fever Dream of a State Capital

   North Yakima land speculators are betting their fortunes that the town will be chosen as the seat of the new state government.

   Apr 18, 1889The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyBoom & Bust

6. A High-Stakes Wrestling Match at the Opera House

   The Victoria champion Quinn faced off against Matsada Karakichi in a brutal match that ended in controversy and injuries.

   Jul 26, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

7. The Waterfront Tug-of-War: Squatters vs. The Empire of A.A. Denny

   As Seattle's waterfront boomed, property titan A.A. Denny moved to clear 'squatters' from valuable harbor land, sparking a public anxiety over property titles that echoes through the city's growth.

   Apr 19, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

8. The Great Redmond Trout Betrayal

   A friendly fishing wager among gentlemen turns into a formal, litigious scandal in Justice Miller's court.

   Apr 18, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerRedmond, King CountyScandal

9. Seattle Squatters Push Land Fight to District Court

   Squatters on the Seattle tidelands win a legal delay in a high-stakes title fight against A.A. Denny, as the city watches a $100,000 property dispute head to district court.

   Apr 16, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

10. 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

11. The Ghost on the Forest Trail

    A lone rider’s remains, discovered near Enumclaw, spark a haunting reflection on the anonymous lives lost in the rush to settle the wild West.

    May 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerEnumclaw, King CountyTrue Crime

12. The Hidden Alleys of Pacific Street

    A look into the segregated and overlooked corners of Seattle's 1889 Chinatown, where children and passersby mingled with the isolated lives of Chinese women.

    Aug 18, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPacific Street, Seattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance · Nightlife

13. The Man Who Bought the Territory: Miles C. Moore’s Rise to Governor

    From a Walla Walla bookstore clerk to the head of Washington Territory, Miles C. Moore’s appointment signals a shift in power from Seattle’s elite to Eastern Washington’s business barons.

    Mar 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

14. The $10,000 Bet That Built Seattle’s Front Street

    Superintendent Thompson risks a fortune to beat the calendar, while a separate land dispute erupts over tide flats near Grant Street.

    Mar 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

15. The Great Tacoma License Revolt: Mayor vs. The People Over Harry Morgan’s Saloon

    In a dramatic showdown at City Hall, the Tacoma Common Council voted to revoke the liquor and theater license of Harry Morgan, sparking petitions from both sides and accusations of bribery involving the *Tacoma Daily Bulletin*. But did the city really win?

    Feb 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

16. The Suffragist in the Hall: How One Woman’s Plea Shook Washington’s Constitutional Convention

    In the sweltering heat of 1878, a delegation from Seattle petitioned the territorial convention for women's voting rights. Mrs. Dunaway was invited to speak, delivering an eloquent appeal that momentarily softened the hearts of the 'sage' delegates before the vote closed.

    Mar 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

17. The Rifle War: Knights of Labor vs. Mine Owners in Newcastle

    A bitter feud between rival labor unions in King County erupts into armed conflict, with rifles smuggled from Seattle to support striking miners.

    Jan 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerNewcastle, King CountyWork & Pay

18. The Coal Creek Massacre: A Coroner’s Inquest into the Battle Between Knights of Labor and Mine Owners

    In January 1890, Seattle Sheriff Cochrane deployed militia to Newcastle to suppress a miners' strike. When a riot erupted at Coal Creek, one man was killed and ten arrested. The subsequent coroner's inquest revealed a chaotic scene where union men claimed self-defense against armed mine owners, while the sheriff dismissed the Knights of Labor as 'too excitable.'

    Jan 6, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerNewcastle, King CountyWork & Pay · True Crime

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