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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 6 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 6 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1894 | 9 |
| 1895 | 17 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1903 | 3 |
| 1904 | 3 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
83 stories matching defer
- The Town That Can't Be Bought
Federal land withdrawals have frozen property rights in Metaline, leaving residents in a legal limbo as they wait for the government to clear their titles.
- The Political Fight Over Road Access
Richland voters rally behind a candidate who pledges to defer to local road associations, highlighting the ongoing tension of geographical isolation.
- Senate Rejects Eight-Hour Workday for Women
Legislators kill labor reform, prioritizing industrial profits over the well-being of working women.
- A Boisterous Welcome at the Snohomish River
A festive crowd greets a delegation of Seattle visitors with a thunderous, mysterious salute.
- The Price of Progress: Seattle's Tax Troubles
Property owners grapple with delinquent taxes and the city's aggressive attempts to collect on street grading assessments under the new charter.
- The Hypocrisy of the Anti-Chinese Movement
An editorial rebuke to Seattle businessmen who exploited anti-Chinese fervor for public clout while quietly retaining their labor, amid rising local tensions.
- The Mayor-Elect's 'Backbone'
Tacoma's mayor-elect quashes a persistent rumor that a local political powerbroker was trying to control his municipal appointments.
- A Tired Opera Troupe Nearly Sinks, Then Saves Itself
The Pyke Opera Company reached Seattle after three days of hard travel, opened two comic operas under-rehearsed, and turned a rocky first night into a success.
- Buy the Mudflats, Give Them Away, and Pray for a Payroll
Olympia's newly organized Improvement Company wants every business man in town to buy one $100 share so it can purchase the tide flats and hand them, free, to any manufacturer willing to set up shop — because railroads and construction crews come and go, but a payroll stays.
- The Unraveling of the Northwest’s First Conglomerate
A deep dive into the financial maneuvers, coal monopolies, and failed experimental farming schemes of the Oregon Improvement Company.
- Judge Langley Returns From the World's Fair
A local superior court judge brings back news of the Washington State building at the Chicago World's Fair and reports on a growing interest in western migration.
- Seattle’s First Steam Fire Engine
Facing a growing city's vulnerability, Seattle’s leadership authorized a massive expenditure in 1878 to modernize the local fire brigade.
- Newport Draws a Fire Line—and a Street Fight Over Spokane Avenue
A petition to grade Spokane Avenue stalls over a steep cut above First Street, while the town moves to require fireproof buildings in the business district.
- The Seattle Correspondent’s Gaze on China
A disorienting, 1877 report from a Seattle newspaper explores the rigid social hierarchies and gender dynamics of the Qing Dynasty through a lens of Victorian fascination.
- The Unknown Man of Lake Washington
A decomposed body found near the Madison Street wharf is briefly linked to a notorious double drowning before being buried in potter's field.
- The Bankrupt Giant and the Tacoma Land Ring
A skeptical editor exposes the Northern Pacific Railroad's questionable finances and a suspicious telegraph campaign used to inflate land values in Tacoma.
- The University Gets a Law School — and a Drill Hall With a Running Track
The regents, meeting at Tacoma, voted to create a law department and to advertise for bids on a gymnasium and drill hall costing no more than $6,650, complete with company rooms and shower baths for the cadets.
- The Old Settlers' Legislative Fantasy
In an 1871 satirical 'Act,' a Seattle newspaper mocked the arrival of ambitious newcomers by proposing that long-time residents receive supreme, legally mandated authority.
- The Great Seattle Land Rush: West Seattle and Lake Union Lots Vanish in Days
As the city expands beyond its original hills, developers are selling off prime waterfront real estate at bargain prices before the next boom hits.
- The Railroad That Threatened to Make Serfs of Us All
An 1884 open letter urges Democrats and independents to break the Northern Pacific's grip on land, taxes and the delegate election.
- Seattle Aldermen Kill Scurry's Confirmation in a Jiffy
A raucous 1895 council session turns into a fight over public works, unemployment relief, and a telephone monopoly.
- Seattle’s City Council Rejects Public Power in Favor of Private Monopoly
In a decisive vote that prioritized corporate interests over municipal control, Seattle leaders refused to condemn the city's water supply, effectively handing power to private developers.
- The $800 School Contract That Smelled Wrong
A losing bidder says Seattle’s school board changed the bonding rules mid-bid to steer the South School job to a higher bidder—and cost taxpayers hundreds.
- The Cable Car That Would Have Opened Union Bay
A promoter promises English capital, jobs, and a wharf at the foot of Seneca Street; a rival railway president warns Seattle is already overbuilt.
- A City on the Brink: Olympia’s 1891 Debt Crisis and the Fight Over Jobs
Facing a constitutional debt limit, Olympia’s city council considers firing the deputy clerk, assistant city attorney, and city engineer—while a motion to revoke the street railway franchise fails by a tie.