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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 62 |
| 1858 | 29 |
| 1859 | 52 |
| 1860 | 27 |
| 1861 | 101 |
| 1862 | 87 |
| 1863 | 69 |
| 1864 | 32 |
| 1865 | 11 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 812 |
| 1877 | 678 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 180 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 911 |
| 1884 | 499 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,324 |
| 1890 | 287 |
| 1891 | 1,115 |
| 1892 | 2,855 |
| 1893 | 2,829 |
| 1894 | 2,116 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 62 |
| 1898 | 196 |
| 1899 | 446 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,332 |
| 1904 | 1,126 |
| 1905 | 124 |
| 1907 | 53 |
| 1908 | 351 |
| 1909 | 1,545 |
| 1910 | 413 |
| 1911 | 160 |
| 1912 | 73 |
| 1914 | 261 |
| 1915 | 300 |
| 1916 | 545 |
| 1917 | 332 |
| 1918 | 45 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1923 | 185 |
| 1924 | 151 |
| 1925 | 64 |
| 1928 | 14 |
| 1929 | 19 |
2,855 stories
- The Hotel Arson Scandal
A bitter divorce case in Gilman turns into a criminal conspiracy mystery after a wife testifies her husband plotted to burn down their own hotel for insurance money.
- The Bribe, The Bantam, and the Law
A Seattle man stands trial for bribery after a messy encounter with a deputy marshal at the Northern Pacific depot—a case fueled by accusations of corruption and mutual dishonesty.
- The 1892 Race for Seattle: A City in Construction
As Seattle geared up for the 1892 mayoral election, local candidates debated debt, expansion, and the 'moral' cleanup of the city while the railroad industry reshaped the landscape.
- The Dream of a Gateway to the Lakes
In 1892, Senator Watson Squire made a bold pitch to Congress for a ship canal connecting Puget Sound to Lakes Union and Washington, arguing it would be a strategic marvel for the U.S. Navy and the region’s commercial might.
- The Wild 1892 Election Day Riot in Seattle’s First Ward
While Seattle’s municipal election saw a decisive shift in power, the ballot boxes were guarded by brawls, rumors of illegal ‘hobo’ voters, and street-side skirmishes that nearly turned deadly.
- The Night Seattle Painted the Town Red
After a landslide victory in the 1892 city elections, thousands of jubilant supporters flooded Pioneer Place to celebrate the end of a 'brazen, triple-plated' political ring.
- The Unproven Future of the 'Attractive Townsite'
Northern Pacific President Thomas F. Oakes visits the burgeoning town of Everett in 1892, skeptical of its long-term viability despite the optimism of its East Coast developers.
- The Bullets That Whizzed Through Commercial Street
A quiet walk near the foundry turns into a terrifying brush with death as three men open fire on passersby.
- The Tragedy of a 'Box Rustler' at the Standard Theater
After being abandoned by her partner and facing a string of personal losses, 18-year-old Lillian Stewart took her own life in a downtown hotel.
- The 'Two Percent' Mayoralty: How Tacoma's Populist Boss Won the Ticket
When Alexander Parker, a wealthy lender known for 'only' charging two percent interest, vied for the mayor's office, he didn't just run a campaign—he staged a spectacle of political maneuvering and local theater at Germania Hall.
- The Tragedy of Trixey Leighton
A gambling house faro dealer and his mistress are found in a grizzly scene in Spokane, leading to a murder investigation that revealed the stark, hidden vulnerabilities of women living on the social margins of the 1890s.
- The Timber Land Swindlers of Seattle
A new arrival in Seattle narrowly escapes a sophisticated land scam operating out of the Seattle National Bank building.
- The Eccentricity Defense: Sarah McDonough Fights for Autonomy
A Seattle woman fights to keep control of her property after local officials attempt to commit her to an asylum.
- A Deadly Encounter on Beacon Hill
A nineteen-year-old hotel worker miraculously survives a point-blank shooting after refusing to surrender to a highwayman in the dark cuts of early Seattle.
- The Betting Frenzy at Pacific and Tenth
A high-stakes municipal election turns Tacoma’s city center into a chaotic, money-soaked spectacle where candidates bet on themselves and crowds swarm the streets in political delirium.
- The Tragic Cost of a Local Election Bet
A Tacoma restaurant owner took his own life after reportedly wagering his last ninety dollars on a mayoral candidate.
- The Cipher and the Confession: Louis Kostrauch’s Cold-Blooded Gamble
After allegedly faking a death and burning a house to escape a life of poverty, a conspirator explains how a forgotten cipher key and a betrayal of trust landed him in the Seattle city jail.
- The Unintended Consequences of Closing Whitechapel
When Seattle’s red-light district was shuttered, sex workers were forced into the public streets, sparking a heated debate about morality and urban management.
- The Shoemaker of Front Street
A quiet tragedy in a small storefront captures the desperate pride of a laborer working through the final stages of illness.
- The Tragedy on the Stump
James McIlveen, a carpenter, was arrested for making a political speech to a row of stumps on Queen Anne Hill after escaping from a hospital window in just a blanket.
- The First Suit for Alimony Without Divorce in Washington
A husband leaves his wife and moves in with his son, but a judge intervenes to ensure the abandoned spouse retains the little property they had.
- The Price of a Human Life
A Seattle newspaper critiques the wildly inconsistent sentencing for murder in Washington Territory, highlighting how local bias and venue changes drastically altered justice for accused killers.
- The Minister and the Saloon
A fiery Memorial Day sermon calls out the city's corrupt politics and the vice rampant in the very shadow of Seattle's churches.
- Seattle Honors Its Civil War Veterans
A massive Memorial Day parade and solemn ceremony at Lake View Cemetery mark the city's largest-ever tribute to fallen Union soldiers.
- A Lonely Death on the Way to the Hospital
An unidentified man, likely a former builder suffering from dropsy, dies in the arms of a jailer while being transported to Providence Hospital.