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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 730 |
| 1904 | 60 |
790 stories
- The Taxpayers' League vs. The Railroads: A Battle for Fair Valuation in Columbia County
In May 1903, local citizens and tax experts challenged the massive capitalization of the Oregon Railway Navigation Company, arguing that its true value warranted a higher tax assessment to fund public services.
- The Electric Robe Wars: A Spokane Doctor’s Threat and a Walla Walla Professor’s Defense
In the early days of electrical therapy, two men clashed over patents and health claims in the pages of the Evening Statesman.
- The Walla Walla Man Who Wanted to Buy the Rails
In 1903, B.D. Crocker—former collector of internal revenue and local favorite—shocked railroad executives by offering to buy the Columbia River & Northern line, sparking rumors of a secret deal with the powerful Oregon Railway & Navigation Company.
- The Scandal of the 'Ragged One': How Pendleton's Victory Sparked a Riot in Walla Walla
When the local team lost to Colfax and Pendleton took first place, the crowd’s frustration boiled over into violence against a theater patron.
- The Electric Robe Wars: A Spokane Doctor’s Patent Battle in Walla Walla
Two physicians engage in a public spat over who invented the 'electric bath robe,' turning a local newspaper's letters page into a courtroom for medical innovation.
- The Governor’s Gamble: McBride Pledges War on Corporate Corruption
In the wake of Teddy Roosevelt’s fiery Spokane address, Washington Governor Albert E. McBride declares his intent to uphold the law against wealthy corporations, signaling a shift in state politics.
- The Empire Builder’s Pacific Dream
Railroad tycoon James J. Hill argues that the future of Northwest agriculture depends not on Europe, but on aggressively securing trade routes to China.
- Road Supervisor Jailed for Embezzlement
A local official faces charges after allegedly pocketing road tax cash and failing to perform the required public works.
- City Saloons Flouting Curfew and Liquor Laws
Walla Walla parents report minors drinking at local bars, raising concerns about the city's 'wide-open' policy.
- A Horse Driven to Exhaustion
A young man is fined after driving a stable horse twenty-five miles in extreme heat for a joyride.
- The Bank and the High School Tax Feud
A local bank refuses to pay school taxes, sparking a fierce debate over civic duty and the funding of Walla Walla’s newest school.
- Convicts to Pave the Way?
Walla Walla's Commercial Club debates a new state law to employ penitentiary inmates in road construction.
- Drought Threatens Walla Walla's Wheat Harvest
Farmers and weather observers warn that a record-breaking dry spell is devastating crops in the Walla Walla Valley and Garfield County.
- The Day Gambling Died in Walla Walla
New state legislation turns the tide on local gaming as businesses scramble to pull slot machines and shut down tables.
- The Rain That Saved the Harvest
A week of torrid heat and nervous anticipation ends as drenching rains sweep across the Inland Empire, securing the wheat crop.
- Smallpox Returns to Walla Walla
City and county officials establish a new health board as cases emerge at the local pest house.
- Minor League Baseball Team Folds Mid-Season
The Dayton baseball team disbands after failing to meet the salary limit, leaving local fans and the Inland League in flux.
- An Armed Mistake on the Road to Walla Walla
Two young boys herding cattle from Starbuck were held at gunpoint by deputies who suspected them of being rustlers.
- Baseball for the Heppner Flood Victims
Walla Walla turns out for a charity game as the community rallies to aid those devastated by the catastrophic Heppner flood.
- Is Walla Walla’s City Budget Just Smoke and Mirrors?
As election season nears, local officials are promising tax cuts, but a local newspaper questions if the administration has the willpower—or the record—to pull it off.
- The Machine's Secret Ballot
With a tight city election approaching, local political bosses reportedly funded the return of exiled gamblers to sway the vote.
- Mayor Hunt's Foundry Work Tests Public Contract Law
A local newspaper argues that the Mayor’s use of his private foundry for city contract work is a violation of the law, even if it is efficient.
- The War on Walla Walla’s Saloons
An early 20th-century editorial denounces local saloon owners as anarchists and moral threats, revealing the deep social divide over the city's 'wide-open' nightlife.
- An Escape from Medical Lake
A patient from the state hospital for the insane sparks fear in a small community before his quiet capture.
- The River Run: A Log Drive Threatens Local Fishing
Three hundred cords of wood floated down the south fork of the Walla Walla River are expected to wreck the local fishing season for weeks.