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• 1900–1909 ×

1. The Arrest of 'Steamboat Liz'

   A physical struggle between a plainclothes patrolman and a local woman sparks a near-riot in downtown Tacoma.

   Mar 22, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyNightlife

2. Worker Killed in Tacoma Gravel Pit Slide

   A young laborer was buried beneath a wall of sand at a North End worksite.

   Mar 30, 1909The Tacoma TimesSouth J Street, Tacoma, Pierce CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

3. The Secret Mission in Jimmy’s Gulch

   Tacoma detectives make a clandestine search near an industrial trestle, sparking rumors about a high-profile disappearance.

   Apr 6, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

4. A Week of Tragedy in Pierce County

   A string of suicides, murders, and accidents shocks Tacoma as a young student and an asylum patient end their own lives.

   Apr 12, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

5. Tragedy at Rigney Hill: Teenager Re-Arrested for Fatal Shooting

   After previously being exonerated on grounds of self-defense, a 19-year-old Tacoma youth faces a new grand jury indictment for a deadly farm dispute.

   Apr 13, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

6. The Tragedy of South 11th Street

   A grand jury reopens the investigation into a 1908 collision that killed an eleven-year-old boy.

   Apr 26, 1909The Tacoma Times11th Street, Tacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

7. A Neighborhood's Battle Against Filth

   Tacoma residents at 11th and Sprague demand city action to clear stagnant wells and sloughs breeding typhoid.

   Apr 29, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

8. The Widow’s Bargain

   An elderly woman signs away her property in exchange for the county's promise to provide her care for the remainder of her life.

   May 8, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

9. University of Puget Sound Students Rescued from The Narrows

   A sudden squall capsized a row-boat carrying six students, leading to a harrowing rescue in the dangerous channel waters.

   May 10, 1909The Tacoma TimesThe Narrows, Tacoma, Mason CountyDisasters

10. A Desperate Swim in the Palouse

    After losing his land and descending into a alcoholic crisis, a former farmer experiences a terrifying delusion and is rescued from the river.

    Mar 9, 1900The Colfax GazettePalouse River, Colfax, Whitman CountyStrange But True

11. The Great Escape from the County Courthouse

    A notorious local thief rigged an ingenious 'Spanish windlass' to dismantle his cell window and vanished into the night—completely naked.

    Mar 16, 1900The Colfax GazetteWhitman County Courthouse, ColfaxTrue Crime

12. The Sinking Ship at Colfax College

    An open letter from the embattled president reveals the infighting and student discontent that led to the institution's crisis.

    Apr 6, 1900The Colfax GazetteColfax, Whitman CountyScandal

13. A Desperate Jailbreak in Colfax

    While awaiting trial for the embezzlement of grain, a local warehouse manager leads a daring escape from the county jail, resulting in a foot chase and a sheriff's pursuit.

    Apr 27, 1900The Colfax GazetteColfax, Whitman CountyTrue Crime

14. Vigilantism in Wiser

    A deputy sheriff takes three men into custody for the targeting of Chinese laborers.

    Oct 1, 1908The Lynden Tribune (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-CurrentWiser Lake, Lynden, Whatcom CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

15. The Legacy of the Stickney Home

    A look at the origins and daily life of the mission school for Nooksack children, established on a Nooksack River island.

    Nov 12, 1908The Lynden Tribune (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-CurrentLynden, Whatcom CountyExclusion & Resistance

16. The Trusted Watchman’s Secret Life

    After 16 years of loyal service, a Hoquiam mill watchman is caught red-handed with a secret kit of burglary tools.

    Jul 21, 1905The Kennewick CourierHoquiam, Grays Harbor CountyTrue Crime

17. A Near Miss for Kennewick’s Warehouse District

    A passing locomotive sparked a blaze in the sagebrush that nearly razed the town's lumber yards and warehouses.

    Aug 25, 1905The Kennewick CourierKennewick, Benton CountyDisasters

18. The Mystery of the Amal Bar

    A man lies dead in a Spokane saloon with no identification but a letter from 'Maggie' and a question about a baby.

    Aug 25, 1905The Kennewick CourierMain Avenue, Spokane, Spokane CountyTrue Crime

19. The Stencil Building's Lucky Streak

    For the third time in its history, a furnace mishap threatens to destroy the Stencil building at Main and Third.

    Jun 12, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyDisasters

20. The Parkland College Sewage Standoff

    Despite pressure from the Public Works Commissioner, the president of Parkland College refuses to move a cesspool, claiming it poses no threat to city water.

    Feb 16, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

21. The Asphalt Monopoly on Pacific Avenue

    Tacoma’s city government faces pressure as questions arise over paving specifications that seem designed to benefit a massive asphalt trust.

    Feb 24, 1904The Tacoma TimesPacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

22. Ghosts in the Voting Booth: Election Fraud Suspected in Tacoma

    Registration rolls are found to be packed with names of men who don't exist and addresses that aren't there, raising alarms of election rigging.

    Mar 4, 1904The Tacoma TimesPacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · True Crime

23. Great Northern Train Narrowly Escapes Destruction

    Passengers on a Great Northern train watched in horror as thousands of tons of earth wiped out a work site just feet from their tracks.

    Mar 5, 1904The Tacoma TimesMukilteo bluffs, Mukilteo, Snohomish CountyDisasters

24. A Violent Scuffle in Old Town

    A longtime Tacoma patrolman is hospitalized with severe injuries after attempting to arrest a disruptive sailor in a waterfront saloon.

    Mar 24, 1904The Tacoma TimesOld Town, Tacoma, Pierce County

25. A Grassroots Effort for Education

    Local parents in Walla Walla organize to hire a private instructor for their deaf children after finding state resources lacking.

    Aug 11, 1903The Evening Statesman654 Park Street, Walla Walla, Walla Walla County

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