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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1858 | 13 |
| 1859 | 25 |
| 1860 | 7 |
| 1861 | 5 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 7 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 7 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1904 | 6 |
| 1909 | 6 |
107 stories
- A Town Organizes a Vigilance Committee to Keep 'Northern Indians' Off Its Shore
Citizens meet at the Court House, resolve that 'no Northern Indians at any time be allowed to land at this place,' and appoint a standing Committee of Vigilance to enforce it.
- The Forgotten Prisoners of McNeil Island
Thirteen men held in limbo for years, caught between a nation that didn't want them and a border that refused their return.
- The Ghost of Fort Steilacoom: Workers Cheated Out of Their Wages
A group of laborers at the new asylum construction site speak out against contractors and commissioners who left them unpaid and used rot-prone materials.
- The Battle for Steilacoom Lake
A landmark lawsuit reveals the vanished history of Washington's oldest grist mill and the early water wars of Pierce County.
- The Mysterious Death at Steilacoom Asylum
Did a state representative die of natural causes, or was he poisoned by a lover?
- The Whatcom Widow Who Bought the Coffin Before the Death
A five-times-married former Whatcom County first lady is back in the news—and old suspicions about her commissioner husband’s death at Steilacoom have followed her east.
- Vigilante Justice Claims a Life in Steilacoom
A cattle dispute turns into a fatal shooting, followed by a mob storming the jail to execute the prisoner.
- U.S. Marshal Transports Prisoners to McNeil Island
A roundup of prisoners sent to the federal penitentiary highlights the era's aggressive and exclusionary legal climate.
- Smallpox Outbreak Hits McNeil Island Penitentiary
An outbreak of smallpox has reached the federal penitentiary at McNeil Island, sparking a vaccination drive and fears of wider contagion.
- A Brutal Murder on the Trail to Fort Steilacoom
A soldier is found dead after a violent altercation involving multiple men, leaving the community in shock.
- Steilacoom Empties Its Garrison for a Near-War on San Juan Island
On Aug. 9, 1859, soldiers and two brass cannon left Steilacoom aboard the steamer Julia to reinforce Capt. Pickett’s tiny command, as the U.S. and Britain edged toward war over a boundary and a pig.
- Tales of Torture at McNeil Island Penitentiary
A newly released prisoner brings harrowing allegations of medical neglect, forced labor, and death to the attention of Seattle officials.
- The Asylum Poisoning Scandal
A state mental hospital is rocked by accusations that a patient was murdered, triggering a battle between local officials and an Eastern chemist.
- Vigilante Justice Follows the Murder of a Pierce County Leader
A mass-meeting in Steilacoom formalizes the community's outrage over the vigilante killing of a citizen-slayer, reflecting deep distrust in the local courts.
- A Rescue at Steilacoom
A 75-year-old Tacoma resident attempts to end her life in the Sound, only to be thwarted by a quick-thinking teenager.
- Quarantine at McNeil Island Penitentiary
An attending physician clarifies the status of a smallpox outbreak at the McNeil Island federal prison.
- The Night Steilacoom's Records Burned
A Tuesday-night blaze destroyed the county auditor's office, forced the demolition of a neighboring building, and nearly took Anthony's Hotel—until soldiers joined the bucket brigade.
- The Sewing Machine Tragedy
A neighborly loan of money for a sewing machine leads to a fatal confrontation on a Steilacoom road.
- The Political Pilgrimage to Steilacoom
In 1887, Washington Territorial legislators took a collective trip to inspect the state's asylum, but the solemn mission quickly devolved into a social affair that kept the real results hidden from the public.
- Inside the State Asylum at Steilacoom
A rare, firsthand look at the daily operations, patient care, and humanitarian philosophy of the Washington State Asylum for the Insane.
- Suspicion After a Politician's Sudden Death
A state representative dies in an asylum, and his father suspects poisoning by atropine.
- Inside the Western Washington Asylum
A biennial report reveals the harsh realities and overcrowding at the state facility for the insane in Steilacoom.
- Inside the Territorial Asylum
A rare firsthand look at the conditions, characters, and daily routines of patients at the Washington Territorial Insane Asylum.
- The End of the Territory's First Hotel
The historic Eight House in Steilacoom, which once hosted Grant and Sheridan, has been destroyed by fire.
- The Tragedy of the Bark 'Kamehameha'
A lone survivor of a shipwreck off Cape Flattery arrives in Steilacoom, providing harrowing details of a vessel lost with fifteen passengers aboard.
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