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| 1862 | 2 |
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56 stories matching par
- Greenbacks Earn Trust in Olympia
Citizens freely exchange Treasury notes for gold at par, signaling local faith in the Union cause.
- The City’s ‘Rubber’ Checks Are Finally Good as Gold
After years of city employees losing money to brokers by discounting city warrants, the Mayor forces a policy of redemption at par value.
- Teachers Fight Back Against Predatory Finance
Everett school teachers refuse to accept discounted payment for their salary warrants, challenging the brokers who profit from their wages.
- Mining Companies Dodge Revenue Tax
New tax laws lead Spokane mining companies to slash share prices to avoid hefty federal levies.
- The Hop Growers' Scrip Solution
Local banks and merchants collaborate to issue IOUs as cash to help farmers survive the harvest season.
- The Price of a Whitewash Job
A working man in Tacoma learns the hard way that 'at par' is a relative term when his employer tries to pass off devalued currency for honest labor.
- The Great Greenback Tug-of-War
A Seattle reader squares off against national editors over the power of the government to define the value of money itself.
- The Price of a Courthouse
King County officials weigh costly real estate deals while taxpayers are struggling with mounting debt and devalued county script.
- The Fire That Paid: How a Grocery Store’s Loss Became a Lesson in Civic Trust
When a fire destroyed the premises of Mossfeldt & Pratt on Jackson Street, their insurance company didn't just pay up—they published a public thank-you note. A rare moment of transparency in 1889 Seattle.
- The Divine Sarah Bernhardt’s Theatrical Meltdown in Seattle
When the legendary French actress discovered her grand stage at the Columbia Theater had been booked for a minstrel show, she didn't just walk off—she unleashed a legendary, multi-lingual tantrum.
- The Sunday Bond Deal That Split Benton County
Two commissioners secretly arranged a courthouse bond sale, and a courtroom fight over lost premiums exposed how far they went to keep the third commissioner—and the public—in the dark.
- Big Utility Deal Reshapes Walla Walla Infrastructure
A major consolidation of power and transit interests moves forward as articles of incorporation are filed for a massive new utility holding company.
- Accusations of Corruption in the Indian Department
Local outrage flares over alleged embezzlement of government funds intended for the Indian Department.
- The Bank-Issued Currency of 1893
Facing a national economic panic, Seattle merchants and bankers agree to honor certified checks as local tender to keep the hop harvest moving.
- Banking Fallout from School Bond Mess
Local business leaders back away from an informal agreement to cover school district debt as the legal validity of the warrants is questioned.
- The Struggle for Currency in Wartime Olympia
Merchants in Olympia face criticism for devaluing federal 'greenbacks' at the expense of local laborers.
- The Bank Tax Standoff
A citizen letter details how the Walla Walla City Council's compromise with a local bank cost taxpayers thousands, while the courts later sided with the Assessor's original valuation.
- The Collapse of a Grain Empire
After a massive embezzlement scheme depleted thousands of bushels, a local warehouse company is forced into liquidation.
- City Laborers Find Relief at the Bank
Mayor Phelps intervenes to stop the exploitation of city laborers by 'scrip buyers' who were charging fees to cash municipal pay checks.
- The City Hall Bond Crisis of 1893
Facing a financial panic, Seattle's mayor proposes an experimental fix to keep public works moving and labor employed.
- School bonds sold behind closed doors
A critique of the school board’s decision to bypass public competition in the sale of district bonds, potentially costing taxpayers.
- The City’s New Bonding Power
New legislation grants Seattle the authority to issue local improvement bonds, shifting the financial burden of street and sewer projects directly onto benefited property owners.
- A Small-Town Wage Fight Goes to Arbitration—and Both Sides Pay Half
When a Richland nursery salesman disputed his pay, the town improvised a three-man board instead of a courtroom.
- The Collapse of the Merchants' National Bank
Tacoma’s banking elite face a ruinous assessment as the city’s failed financial institutions attempt to settle their debts.
- The Burden of Local Debt in Whatcom County
Citizens and municipalities face a staggering $63,000 annual interest bill on bonds used to build schools and infrastructure.