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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 7 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 10 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 8 |
| 1895 | 13 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1911 | 3 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
99 stories matching bless
- The Preacher's Daughter Eloped, and Her Father Met the Groom With a Shotgun
Emery Bickafoose and Rose Holgate slipped out of Oakesdale, married in Idaho, then drove home for a parental blessing. They got a loaded reception instead.
- The Snohomish Afterlife: A Spiritualist Joke
In an 1878 newspaper, a medium's séance takes a darkly humorous turn when a grieving widow asks her late husband if he is in heaven.
- A Parish Divided in Colton
A local priest denounces a young couple for their choice of marriage officiant, sparking a revolt among his congregation.
- The Case of the Stolen Stick of Wood
An overzealous police officer makes an arrest for the theft of a single stick of wood, only for the municipal court to dismiss the case with a blessing.
- The Unintended Comedy of a Seattle Home-Grown Play
A young Seattle playwright attempts a 'powerful' American drama, only to accidentally create a farcical scene involving nightshirts, chin-wiping, and a very confused father-in-law.
- The Hypocrites of Commercial Street
A biting piece of social commentary from 1878 Seattle poetry attacks the town's pious moneylenders who exploit their neighbors while maintaining a veneer of religious devotion.
- The Seventh Ward's Radical Candidate
A candidate for the Everett city council challenges the traditional view of 'women's sphere' in a bold campaign card.
- A Night at the Chinese Theater in Tacoma
Despite warnings of anti-Chinese agitation, a traveling troupe’s performance at the Tacoma Theater draws a packed and appreciative crowd.
- The Self-Appointed Reformer of Tacoma
A man claiming divine orders to improve the city is sentenced to 30 days in jail for vagrancy after repeated police interference.
- City Bids Farewell to Fireman Killed in Line of Duty
Police and fire departments honor Dan Noonan, who died after a collision between a hose wagon and a streetcar in South Tacoma.
- Laying the Groundwork for the University
Seattle celebrated Independence Day with the formal, ceremonial laying of the corner-stone for the new University of Washington.
- The Newspaper Owner Who Disavowed His Own Editorial
Francis Murphy reads L.S.J. Hunt’s letter to a Seattle crowd, disowning the Post-Intelligencer’s anti-temperance editorial and sending $200 for the cause.
- The Jury's Boozy Banquet
A Pierce County jury demands a lavish spread of food and a gallon of Scotch while deliberating a verdict.
- A Frugal Man's Fortune Builds a Home for Widows and Orphans
In its Thanksgiving editorial the Statesman counts the city's blessings and buries the biggest news in the middle: Joseph Stubblefield's lifetime savings will endow a home for indigent widows and orphans to the tune of about $135,000.
- The Sentinel of the Sound
A citizen’s poetic tribute to the indispensable role of the press in the frontier life of 1880s Seattle.
- Fairhaven's Booster Gospel: A Correspondent Says Come With Money, Not Without
A Chicago Record writer tours the Sound and pronounces the coast counties blessed—while conceding the sawmills have gone dark and the camps emptied.
- A Visitor’s View of Seattle in 1884
A traveling correspondent offers a candid take on Seattle’s mud, growth potential, and the recent victory for women’s suffrage.
- Washington Territory’s Wartime Blueprint
Governor William H. Wallace outlines a vision for the territory’s future while railing against 'peace men' and traitors amid the Civil War.
- Aberdeen’s Train and Boat Schedule Disruption
A drastic change in transportation schedules leaves locals stranded and furious over ballooning travel times.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad's Sudden Respect for Seattle
For years the railroad ignored Seattle, but a shift in power has forced a grudging acknowledgment of the city's potential to rival San Francisco.
- The Dedication of St. Joseph's Hospital
Bishop Junger officiates the opening of a state-of-the-art infirmary meant to serve the sick regardless of creed.
- A Floral Welcome for the Papal Delegate
Thousands of roses decorated the Tacoma Hotel for the visiting representative of Pope Leo XIII, sparking a debate over Seattle’s 'modest' standing.
- The Artist and the Terrier: A Seattle Romance
A down-and-out clerk uses his only asset—a well-trained terrier—to win the favor of a grumpy painter and the hand of his beloved in 1870s Seattle.
- The Chaos of Washington's Pre-Civil War Legislature
As the nation teetered on the brink of war, Olympia's Eighth Legislative Session descended into partisan bickering, salary disputes, and frantic attempts to define Washington Territory's loyalty to the Union.
- The Fight Against the Rail Barons
A fiery interview with a Washington Territory delegate exposes the 'gentlemanly footpad' tactics used by the Northern Pacific Railroad to seize public land from settlers.