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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 13 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 16 |
| 1884 | 15 |
| 1885 | 11 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1887 | 6 |
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| 1889 | 25 |
| 1890 | 2 |
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| 1892 | 47 |
| 1893 | 51 |
| 1894 | 45 |
| 1895 | 47 |
| 1897 | 4 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1899 | 9 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 10 |
| 1904 | 11 |
| 1909 | 24 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 5 |
| 1912 | 5 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
423 stories matching charter
- Civic Clubs Threaten Mandamus to Reform Charter
Local reformers arm themselves with 1,600 petition signatures to force the City Council to call for a charter revision election.
- The Price of Progress: A 1892 Look at Seattle's Infrastructure Boom
A legislative overhaul of Seattle’s city charter reveals the city's early struggle to balance growth, infrastructure improvements, and the complex burden of local tax assessments.
- Tacoma Citizens Demand Commission Government
Frustrated by the city council's refusal to act, reformers begin a petition drive to force a charter revision election.
- Tacoma Labor Unions March in Seattle
Two thousand Tacoma union members chartered steamboats to participate in a massive Labor Day parade in Seattle.
- Rewriting the City's Rulebook
Seattle officials and citizens gather to overhaul the municipal charter, seeking to clarify the responsibilities of the Mayor and the City Council.
- Tacoma’s Push for a Commission-Style Government
Local reformers demand a new city charter to operate municipal governance like a private corporation.
- City Charter Committee Member Resigns in Protest
W. G. Armstrong quits the charter revision committee, accusing the city council of flagrantly ignoring the interests of working people.
- The Battle for the Alaska Route
A high-stakes power struggle involving the Northern Pacific railroad and the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company threatens to upend the shipping monopoly on the Alaska run.
- The Fight for City Hall Reform
A committee clash over charter reform and the initiative process reveals deep divisions in Seattle's civic governance.
- The Battle for the City Charter
Seattle's charter revisers spar over whether to maintain a two-house council or consolidate power, highlighting deep tensions over political cliques and mayoral authority.
- Puget Sound Shippers Break Free of Eastern Monopoly
Local grain dealers are no longer forced to accept predatory shipping rates dictated by Eastern financiers.
- The 1893 Plan to Untangle Seattle’s Government
A powerful city official wanted a stronger mayor, a one-house council, and fewer commissions—arguments Seattle still has today.
- City Jail Inmate Moved to Hospital Following Drug Withdrawal
A local man held in the county jail receives medical transfer as he suffers the effects of sudden drug withdrawal.
- A Seattle Election Was Decided by Charter Procedure—and the Supreme Court Let It Stand
The state Supreme Court upheld amendments that cut Seattle’s house of delegates to one member per ward, dooming V. P. Wiesemnal’s bid to take a seat under the old rules.
- The State vs. The Sanipractors
Washington officials move to revoke licenses tied to a Seattle university accused of abusing its educational charter.
- The Mayor's Power to Fire: Seattle's Removed Police Commissioners Fight for Their Jobs
J. G. Niggle and E. G. Cheasty argue that Mayor Byron Phelps removed them without notice or hearing—and that the city charter requires cause, not whim.
- Mayor Sweeney and Comptroller Carson Clash Over City Assessment
A legal battle erupts over whether the city comptroller or the county assessor has the power to prepare Seattle's tax rolls under a new state law.
- Who Gets to Rewrite Seattle's Charter — the Council or the People?
A crowded, argumentative hearing at City Hall: the Chamber of Commerce is accused of a 'somersault,' a lawyer sneers at 'the people,' and Dr. Ramsey answers a councilman with a line of Latin.
- The Struggle to Streamline Seattle's Government
City Comptroller Carson argues for dismantling the commission system to consolidate power, clashing with traditional checks and balances.
- The Daily Grind: Tacoma Workers Demand a Living Wage in 1892
A bold petition from local laborers forces the City Charter Amendment Committee to confront demands for a $2 daily wage and a nine-hour workday.
- The Great Cascade Rail Land Gamble
A reader asks if the railroad owns the land it’s selling in the Cascades; the editor argues the company's title is as muddled as the mountain tracks.
- The Supreme Court Rules on Street Grading Liability
The Washington State Supreme Court clarifies the statute of limitations for damage claims against the City of Seattle.
- The Steamboat Scheme to Sneak 10,000 Sheep into Washington
Barred from driving his Oregon flocks through Klickitat County, M. McLennan charters a special steamer to slip them into Skamania County and on to Yakima.
- Everett Eyes the 'Commission Plan' for City Government
Following a lecture by a Spokane commissioner, Everett citizens push to abandon ward politics in favor of a new municipal structure.
- The Mayor’s Labor Pact: How Organized Labor Bought Spokane’s City Hall
Mayor Byrne opens up about the 'organized labor' machine that secured his election and warns of a looming anti-Republican coalition in Washington State.