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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 3 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 7 |
| 1895 | 11 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 5 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
77 stories matching outlay
- The Rising Cost of City Progress
An editorial analysis questioning whether the tripling of street improvement spending under the current administration is delivering value to taxpayers.
- The Price of a Vote: Seattle’s 1884 Election Costs
A look back at the surprisingly high cost of democracy in early Seattle, where administrative overhead, printing, and legal red tape turned local elections into a financial burden for the growing town.
- Why Seattle Should Own Its Own Power
An 1889 editorial argues that municipal control of gas, electricity, and water is the only path to fair pricing and civic progress.
- The Street Roller Scandal
How a $3,550 machinery purchase for Walla Walla streets became a symbol of administrative failure and potential graft.
- A Night at the Hall Ruined by Rowdyism
A gratuitous public entertainment in Seattle is brought to an abrupt and disorderly end by an unruly crowd, leaving the organizer out of pocket.
- The Dream of Homeownership in 1891
An early real estate pitch captures the Victorian-era obsession with property as a moral imperative.
- City Council Cracks Down on Hazardous Chimneys
Walla Walla residents are scrambling to upgrade fire-prone flues after a new ordinance threatens fines for unsafe stovepipe installations.
- The Iron Road Reaches the Pacific
Seattle prepares to welcome Henry Villard, the man behind the Northern Pacific Railroad's completion.
- Olympia's Shifting Rail Line
The Olympia branch railroad plans a major reroute to avoid dangerous trestles and prioritize the lucrative logging trade.
- White River Farmers Resist City's Drainage Plan
Farmers in the White River Valley rejected a proposed drainage ditch, arguing the city should subsidize the cost for its own water benefit.
- The Industrial Ambition of Monte Cristo
A detailed look at the massive capital investments and engineering feats transforming the Snohomish County mountains into a mining powerhouse.
- The Price of Graft in Seattle’s Sewers
Mayor Ronald accuses the previous Democratic administration of massive financial deception regarding city sewer construction costs.
- The Walla Walla Council's Fire Alarm Debate
City leaders weigh the cost of a new fire alarm system against the growing municipal budget.
- The Pioneer Developer’s Gamble
When Seattle was a young, growing town, Henry Yesler looked for an unconventional way to fund critical mountain infrastructure: raffling off his massive timber empire.
- A Seattle Stage Benefit for Franklin’s Mine Disaster Families
An Olympic Athletic Club benefit at the Seattle Theater raised more than $2,000 for widows and orphans after a Washington coal-mine disaster.
- The Struggle to Build a County Fair
Citizens push to establish the Snohomish County Agricultural Society despite massive logistical hurdles and limited resources.
- Taming the Wishkah River
Massive new dams are set to revolutionize the lumber industry in Chehalis County.
- The Perils of the Oiled Road
A disastrously bumpy trip by local boosters to Attalia results in wrecked cars and a debate over infrastructure priorities.
- Making Way for the Iron Horse
Seattle's Board of Aldermen debates the Great Northern railroad franchise, wrestling with the demand for a major depot against the city's future growth.
- Seattle's Frontier Expansion
A report on the rapid growth, construction, and economic development of Seattle in 1883.
- The Wooden Pipe Experiment
A Dayton businessman brings a water-main success story to the Walla Walla council.
- A Logger's Amputated Leg, a $700 Bill, and the Lodge That Wouldn't Pay
Skagit logger Daniel Kehoe lost a leg, and La Conner's United Workmen covered three months of care. His Nevada home lodge had not reimbursed them.
- The Price of Public Safety
City council debates delaying fire limits due to high brick costs.
- Streetcar Companies Balk at City Lighting Mandate
Seattle's transit operators claim they cannot afford to install lights along their tracks as ordered by the City Council.
- The Potato Crisis of 1877
As Puget Sound farmers face crop failure from decades of neglect, editors call for a shift to the 'fine art' of fruit cultivation.