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1. The Valley Sixty Miles From a Railroad

   In 1892, the Big Bottom settlers of Lewis County had no road, no sawmill and no rail line — just hand-hewn homes, packhorses, a tobacco-chewing cat, and a Fourth of July party for 160 neighbors.

   Jul 25, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMorton, Lewis CountyStrange But True

2. John Wiley's Whiskers Steal a 25–15 Ballgame

   A comedian's two-base hit, a 1,000-person crowd, and a disastrous first inning turned a grudge match between the Jacobites and Philistines into Seattle's strangest sporting spectacle of 1894.

   Aug 2, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

3. The Trial of the $12,000 Yellow Dog

   A vicious canine’s habit of biting pedestrians leads to a massive civil lawsuit that leaves a judge weighing the legal definition of a trespasser.

   Oct 29, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

4. A Veteran Railroader Reflects on Seattle’s Industrial Growth

   After a year as Lake Shore superintendent, I. A. Nadeau retires from the position, looking back on the era when the city’s rail freight grew from a single car of hardware to a hub of transcontinental commerce.

   Jun 1, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

5. The Perils of a Modern Diet

   A local column warns Tacoma residents that the 'great national vice' of gluttony and poor food combinations is endangering public health.

   Feb 26, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

6. The End of the City Cow

   Tacoma moves to ban the 'lowing herd' from city limits, declaring that more than two cows makes a dairy, not a home.

   Apr 15, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

7. The Pugilist’s Surprise

   A strongman looking for a wrestling match in early Seattle learns that a quiet demeanor doesn’t always mean a lack of spirit.

   Nov 15, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

8. A Texas Tall Tale Falls Flat on the Olympia Stage

   The Tribune's critic takes a traveling company to task for butchering a popular novel into an 'unskillful' play—and even the little Scotch terrier doesn't escape review.

   Dec 22, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia Theater, Olympia

9. The Sawmill Man’s Dream of Refinement

   A boisterous sawmill owner, caught drunk and disorderly in Seattle, offers a surprisingly poetic vision of domesticity to a judge in 1878.

   Aug 27, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

10. The Mosquitoes of Skagit

    A local tale of insect infestation that challenges the visitor to believe the impossible.

    Jul 17, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

11. The Tale of the Mule and the Chain Gang

    A tragicomic local account of a man's final, ill-fated encounter with a stubborn mule while attempting to evade the law.

    Dec 2, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

12. The Ultimatum: Lager or Love

    A Snohomish woman forces a choice between the bottle and the altar.

    Sep 16, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyNightlife

13. The House Rules of a Frontier Newspaper

    An 1864 editor lays down the law for visitors to his office, covering everything from chewing tobacco to the frequent singing of 'John Brown.'

    Oct 7, 1864Walla Walla StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

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