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1. The Arsonist Who Burned the Books: A Tacoma Cover-Up?

   An attempt to torch the U.S. Custom House in Port Townsend raises eyebrows as officials fear a whistleblower’s evidence of corruption was destroyed.

   Mar 16, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWater Street, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · True Crime

2. Tragedy in the Woods: Storm Claims Lives at Crescent Bay

   A young family seeking shelter from a gale-force windstorm in the woods meets a sudden, heartbreaking end when a falling tree strikes their home.

   Apr 4, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyDisasters

3. The Custom House Scandal: A Betrayed Deposit

   A missing payment of gold coin in a shipping manifest sparks a corruption investigation in Port Townsend, shaking public faith in the local customs office.

   Apr 9, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCustom House, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · True Crime

4. 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

5. The Great Room Shortage: Port Townsend’s Hotels Burst at the Seams

   As Portland investors pour money into the Puget Sound city, locals warn that seven hotels aren't enough—residents are begging for permanent housing before the next boom hits.

   Jan 17, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyHousing & Rent

6. The Tragedy of Point Wilson

   A failed towing negotiation in Port Angeles led to a desperate, fatal attempt to sail across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

   Jun 21, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPoint Wilson, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyDisasters

7. The General Who Refused to Work Sundays

   A Civil War veteran turned customs official risks his government pension to stand against a 41-hour shift demand at the Port Townsend docks.

   Sep 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay

8. The Ghost Ship of Port Townsend

   A British bark vanishes in the fog off Washington’s coast; a court of inquiry clears the crew, but not before two men drown and the master walks away with nothing.

   Mar 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

9. The Emerald's Cargo: Opium and Chinese Laborers Seized in Puget Sound

   Federal authorities seize a sloop carrying banned opium and undocumented Chinese immigrants at Port Discovery Bay, highlighting the harsh enforcement of exclusion laws in Washington Territory.

   Jan 25, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

10. The Jailbreak That Almost Was: A Struggle for Freedom in Port Townsend

    In a dramatic afternoon at the Clallam County jail, five prisoners attempted to overpower the keeper with an axe and a garrote-style choke. Jailer Furlong’s quick draw saved the day.

    Mar 8, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyTrue Crime

11. A Trail of Fire Through Port Townsend

    When four hundred torch-bearers paraded the bluff at night, they turned the seaside town into a spectacular display of political theater.

    Sep 23, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall

12. The Great Sweep: Jefferson County Goes Republican for the First Time

    In a historic political shift for Washington Territory, the newly elected county officers in Port Townsend take office, marking the first time Jefferson County has been governed exclusively by Republicans.

    Mar 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall

13. The Tailor’s Basket: A Drunkard’s Violent Encounter with a Chinese Laundryman

    In the tense racial climate of late-19th century Port Townsend, an intoxicated tailor attempted to pick a fight with a Chinese immigrant, only to be knocked unconscious by his own laundry basket.

    Mar 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWater Street, Port Townsend, Jefferson CountyExclusion & Resistance

14. The Unintended Voyage of a Victoria Day Excursionist

    A man looking to celebrate the Queen's birthday ends up on an accidental odyssey across international waters after being denied passage on a ferry.

    May 31, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

15. The Unlucky Travelers of the Puget Sound

    A small steamer encounters the harsh realities of the Sound, leaving passengers stranded in the fog.

    Jul 8, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson County

16. The Hunter Hunted: A Seattle Man Shot for a Bear

    A Seattle man traveling to Port Townsend to file for government land is mistaken for a bear and shot by a school teacher in the dense brush.

    Sep 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

17. The Price of a Hand: A Labor Settlement in Port Townsend

    A longshoreman injured while unloading cargo from the steamship Walla Walla receives a court-ordered settlement, highlighting the physical dangers of 19th-century maritime work.

    Aug 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyWork & Pay

18. The City That Wasn't: Port Townsend’s Bold Pitch to Steal Seattle’s Thunder

    In January 1889, the Mayor of Port Townsend published a scathing list of 'facts' in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, arguing that his town was the true commercial heart of the Pacific Northwest while Seattle remained a mere backwater.

    Jan 29, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyBoom & Bust

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