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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 53 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 7 |
| 1860 | 13 |
| 1861 | 59 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 46 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 57 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 221 |
| 1892 | 194 |
| 1893 | 107 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 113 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 94 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 10 |
1,310 stories
- The Partisan Brawl of 1862
A scathing editorial laments the Olympia legislature's refusal to pass loyalty resolutions, accusing lawmakers of secret disloyalty to the Union cause.
- Stagecoach Plunges into McAllister’s Creek
A bridge collapse during a routine transit near Steilacoom leaves passengers shaken but miraculously uninjured.
- Portland Press Labels Washington Territory Disloyal
A neighboring newspaper warns Olympia that unless the territory proves its Unionist fervor, federal support and favors will remain out of reach.
- The Business of Mourning in the Civil War
As the casualty lists from the front lines grew, the private industry of embalming rose to meet a grim public need in Olympia and across the nation.
- The Speakerless Session: A Legislative Standoff
After seventeen ballots and tense debates over legal swearing-in procedures, the Territorial House finally elects a Speaker.
- Volunteers Needed for War Against Snake Indians
Recruiting efforts underway in Olympia for the Oregon Cavalry to secure frontier routes and retaliate against ongoing raids.
- Olympia Celebrates the Turning Point of the Civil War
Upon receiving news of Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the capital of Washington Territory erupted in days of wild, illuminated celebration.
- Call for Cavalry to Combat Snake Indians
Recruitment begins in Olympia for a regiment tasked with patrolling the frontier against the Snake Indians.
- The Temperance Fight Hits Local Garrisons
Legislators move to ban saloons near military homes, targeting Orting and Puget Sound shipyards in a sweeping dry campaign.
- Medical Lobby Drops Fight Against Osteopaths
After intense lobbying against the Beach bill, the Pierce County Medical Association abruptly reverses course, paving the way for osteopaths to join the state board of medical examiners.
- The Sergeant-at-Arms Breaks a Representative's Nose
A legislative debt dispute turns violent on the floor of the Washington House, leading to a physical brawl and a public reprimand.
- Legislative Turf Wars in the Early Days
Despite attempts to smear the new leadership as corrupt, the first Legislative Assembly of Washington Territory successfully organized its houses in Olympia.
- A.A. Denny Challenges Ambiguous Indigenous Voting Law
A territorial legislator objected to unclear rules for Indigenous enfranchisement, warning that local election judges would decide voter eligibility inconsistently.
- Celebrating the Lunar New Year in 1863
Olympia's Chinese residents celebrated the New Year with traditional firecrackers and tea, an occasion marked by a local editor with a mix of curiosity and cultural commentary.
- Political Conflict in an Olympia Classroom
A student is driven from school after being bullied for his vocal support of the Union.
- A Historic First for Washington Electors
Mrs. Samuel G. Cosgrove becomes the first woman in the nation to deliver a state’s electoral votes to Washington, D.C.
- Accusations of Corruption in State Capitol Planning
The Walla Walla Statesman warns that a proposed constitutional amendment is a front for a 'boodler' syndicate in Olympia.
- Legislators Duck 'Wife Beater' Bill
Public ridicule stops lawmakers from sponsoring a measure to punish domestic abusers.
- The Resurrection of the Big Chief
A Mud Bay man wakes from a trance to declare himself a prophet, leading hundreds of Indigenous followers into town in a solemn, chanting procession.
- Political Seances in the Capital
Olympia’s socialites visit a trance medium to divine the outcome of a heated senatorial fight.
- Riot and Revelry at the Capitol
As the legislative session in Olympia concluded, members engaged in a chaotic scramble to loot furniture and equipment from the chambers.
- They Burned Letters to the Dead on Ayer's Hill
Olympia's Chinese community gathered at a hillside cemetery in 1891 to honor eight departed countrymen with roast pork, red candles, wine and paper messages sent into the next world.
- The Man Who Sold Olympia's Eastside Like Hot Cakes
W. E. Sebree platted a tract on the Eastside, cleared nearly $40,000, toured Alaska and Europe — and came home to a town he hardly recognized.
- The Hotel Fire That Nearly Stayed Out of the Paper
When a blaze at the Olympia Hotel drew a sensational headline, the lessee asked the Tribune to spike the story. The paper refused—and used the fight to demand fire escapes and safer ash storage.
- Olympia’s New ‘Keeley Cure’ Promised to Break Drink and Opium Habits in Three Weeks
Dr. Watt opens a Keeley Institute in the Union block, touting a round-the-clock regimen of medicine, hypodermic injections and baths — and applications are already arriving from across Puget Sound.
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