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• 1891 ×

1. The Gambling Judge of Port Townsend

   A state legislative committee moves to impeach Superior Court Judge Morris B. Sachs after reports surface of him frequenting saloons, playing faro, and ruling on cases involving family members.

   Feb 13, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · Scandal

2. The Phantom Bribe: A Legislative Ghost Hunt in Olympia

   A state representative demands an investigation into a 'phantom' briber, while the legislature becomes deadlocked by scandal and partisan maneuvering.

   Feb 17, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · True Crime

3. The Sting That Toppled a Representative

   When Washington state lawmaker John L. Metcalfe accepted a bribe to expose corruption, the legislature responded by trying to expel him instead of the briber.

   Feb 26, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWashington State Capitol, Olympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Scandal

4. Seattle’s Growing Pains and the Charter Debate

   As the city rapidly transformed, a newly formed committee of business and labor leaders debated whether to rewrite the city's charter to address corruption and municipal growth.

   Jan 10, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

5. A Newspaper Opens a Fund So Poor Men Can Afford the Keeley Cure

   The Tribune sets a contribution box at Main and Fourth for Olympia residents too poor to pay for the Keeley Institute's addiction treatment, seeding the fund with $5 and naming a committee to vet applicants.

   Dec 4, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

6. Olympia Puts Its Bond Mess on Ice—and the Mayor Objects

   A council committee recommends leaving the 1891 bond tangle to the next administration; the mayor warns the city is “in a mud hole” and wants the courts to force a decision.

   Dec 2, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

7. Olympia Bought a $1,500 Sewer Map Critics Called Worthless

   A letter to the editor accuses the city council of buying a stranger's sewer plan without scrutiny—complete with a harbor reservoir already condemned in San Diego.

   Nov 30, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · City Hall

8. Olympia’s Fight for a Deep-Water Harbor

   Citizens tell the harbor-line commissioners to claim Budd Inlet’s tide flats for public wharves—not a narrow waterway that would hand the waterfront to private owners.

   Oct 28, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust · City Hall

9. A $1,500 Sewer Plan, and a Demand for an Affidavit

   Olympia's council weighs buying a complete sewerage scheme for the city — but not before the engineer swears his figures are honest.

   Oct 23, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

10. The Senator Who Bought His Seat

    A Washington State legislator admits to accepting $200 to sway his vote for U.S. Senator, sparking a scandal in Olympia that mirrors modern concerns about political corruption.

    Jan 22, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWashington State Capitol, Olympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

11. The Engineer Who Says Olympia Stiffed Him for Sewer Plans

    A civil engineer hired to draft Olympia’s sewers says the city accepted his $700 bid, starved him of data, then canceled his contract and paid another man $1,500 for plans he calls a public nuisance.

    Dec 15, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

12. The 'Kicker' of the City Council

    A councilman breaks his silence to accuse the Yakima city government of blatant corruption and insider contracting.

    Mar 26, 1891The Yakima HeraldFront Street, Yakima, Yakima CountyCity Hall

13. City Hall's Saloon Showdown

    A legislative battle over liquor limits and grade taxes highlights the growing pains of a booming Seattle.

    Jan 17, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTerrace Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

14. Settlers Declare War on Sheep Herders

    Yakima County farmers organize to stop the 'wanton destruction' of range land and demand a new tax on foreign sheep.

    Sep 17, 1891The Yakima HeraldWenas Creek, Yakima, Yakima CountyWork & Pay · Follow the Money

15. The Price of Progress: Yakima County Bids for the State College

    In a special session, county commissioners authorize $15,000 in warrants to help secure the site for the newly forming state agricultural college.

    Apr 23, 1891The Yakima HeraldYakima County Courthouse, YakimaCity Hall

16. The Great University Land Shuffle

    Prominent citizens and state legislators met at the Chamber of Commerce to plot the move of the University of Washington to a massive new campus between Lake Union and Lake Washington.

    Feb 7, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

17. The Westside Railway Deal and the Councilman Who Didn't Read It

    Olympia's council weighed a cheaper route through C. M. Moore's block to reach the Westside Railway—until one committeeman admitted he had signed the report blind.

    Oct 17, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

18. The Judge Who Played Faro: Port Townsend’s Bar Association Moves to Impeach Morris Sachs

    In a stunning display of civic outrage, local attorneys and property owners present sworn affidavits to the state legislature alleging that Superior Court Judge Morris B. Sachs regularly gambled on illegal faro games and prejudged cases before hearing them.

    Jan 30, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · Scandal

19. The Women of Olympia Furnish a Home Away from Home for Old Soldiers

    The Geo. H. Thomas Woman’s Relief Corps outfits a cozy room at the Soldiers’ Home in Orting, down to a rug made from sixteen raccoon skins.

    Dec 18, 1891The Olympia TribuneWashington Soldiers’ Home, OrtingStrange But True

20. Ilwaco Cannerymen Fight the Introduction of Catfish

    Local industry experts warn that catfish will destroy the salmon population in Washington waters.

    Feb 3, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerIlwaco, Pacific CountyFollow the Money

21. The Six Who Vanished: Tacoma’s Senatorial Scandal and the Art of Political Silence

    In the wake of a bitter Washington State Senate race, the six key allies of defeated candidate Judge Calkins have disappeared from public view, leaving behind a trail of bribery allegations and a furious debate over whether the election was stolen or won by superior strategy.

    Jan 26, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

22. A City on the Brink: Olympia’s 1891 Debt Crisis and the Fight Over Jobs

    Facing a constitutional debt limit, Olympia’s city council considers firing the deputy clerk, assistant city attorney, and city engineer—while a motion to revoke the street railway franchise fails by a tie.

    Nov 18, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

23. The Asylum for Impecunious Politicians

    A satirical look at the backroom deals, bribery, and state-level corruption behind the selection of a new government institution site in Yakima.

    May 7, 1891The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyCity Hall

24. Hop Farmers Organize to Escape Middleman Monopoly

    King County farmers gather in Kent to establish their own banking association, aiming to break the grip of speculators on the regional hop market.

    Feb 2, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerKent, King CountyWork & Pay

25. Washington Tide Land Bill Would Create Sales Commission

    A new bill moves through the state legislature to codify how the state will survey and sell off the submerged lands along the shoreline.

    Feb 17, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money

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