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• Chehalis ×

1. The Chehalis Inferno

   A devastating blaze sweeps through four blocks of wooden buildings, leaving residents to wonder if firebugs are to blame for the city's second disaster in two months.

   May 23, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMain Street, Chehalis, Lewis CountyDisasters

2. The Courthouse War

   A fierce battle between a judge and county officials leads to a standoff, a jail sentence, and a wild threat to tear down the jailhouse to free the prisoner.

   Jun 18, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

3. A Nighttime Train Wreck Near Chehalis

   A northbound express train derails after striking a steer, leading to a miraculous escape for the crew and passengers.

   Jun 12, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyDisasters

4. Boiler Explosion Leaves Chehalis in the Dark

   A mechanical failure at the local mill triggers an city-wide blackout, prompting residents to demand a municipal power plant.

   Aug 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

5. The Great Escape from the Chehalis Reform School

   Two boys break out of the state reformatory in their nightshirts, only to be recaptured after a desperate clothes-stealing spree in Centralia.

   Feb 8, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyTrue Crime

6. Ainslie Lumber Mill Resumes Production

   After standing idle, the large mill near Chehalis is firing up its boilers, offering a vital economic lifeline to the community.

   Sep 12, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyWork & Pay

7. Railroad Worker Maimed in Chehalis

   A young laborer loses an arm after being forced from a moving freight train by a company employee.

   Sep 22, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyWork & Pay

8. A Politician's Vulnerable Moment

   A future governor breaks down while addressing boys at the state reform school, revealing a hidden side of his history.

   Sep 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyStrange But True

9. The Breakfast Guest That Wouldn't Leave

   A morning meal in rural Washington is interrupted by a massive bear, leading to a desperate struggle at the farmhouse window.

   Mar 23, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyStrange But True

10. A Desperate Hour in a Chehalis Saloon

    A mysterious stranger’s public suicide attempt offers a chilling snapshot of frontier instability in late 19th-century Lewis County.

    Feb 5, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis County

11. Torchlight, Two Bands, and a Canal: Lewis County Opens the 1892 Campaign

    Four hundred Centralia Republicans ride a special train into Chehalis, fill the opera house past overflowing, and cheer loudest for the Lake Washington canal.

    Aug 28, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

12. The Governor's Choice, Leaked from Chehalis

    A Chehalis powwow and a delegate-apportionment fight revealed Governor Ferry's preference for Senator J. Henry Long—and the Reed family's counter-campaign—in Washington's 1892 governor race.

    Jan 4, 1892The Olympia TribuneChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

13. A Rough Week in Chehalis

    A local train wreck and a string of mishaps keep the town busy.

    Jul 10, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerNewaukum, Chehalis, Lewis CountyDisasters

14. The Rising Tide of Chehalis Hops

    Local farmers see a golden future in hop production, aiming to make their region the hop capital of Washington state.

    Dec 12, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyBoom & Bust

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