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| Year | Stories |
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| 1859 | 1 |
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| 1889 | 6 |
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50 stories matching devolv
- The Baker Who Ran for Mayor
Seattle's Populist Party convention devolves into 12 hours of bickering before selecting a German baker to lead their ticket.
- The Struggle for the Snoqualmie Road
Citizens push to finish a vital mountain artery before winter, citing the need for local growth and migration.
- The Price of a Local Home
Walla Walla shifts the financial burden of securing a charitable home to the county commission, sparking a debate over the scope of municipal responsibility.
- The Political Ring’s Tight Grip on Chehalis County
Aberdeen’s Republican convention devolved into a 'cut and dried' affair as local party bosses utilized proxies and backroom maneuvering to maintain control.
- The Daisy of a Railroad
A skeptical journalist tours the Olympia & Tenino Railroad and finds a 'toy' line run by a one-man crew.
- Wild West Chaos in Black Diamond
A gambling dispute at an unlicensed saloon in Black Diamond spirals into a shootout, narrowly missing local schoolchildren.
- Showdown at the Armory
A National Guard competitive drill in Seattle devolves into chaos as judges change the rules mid-contest, sparking heated protests.
- The Disgraceful State of Our Streets
Walla Walla's main thoroughfares have devolved into 'pig sties' of mud, and the city must fix drainage and maintenance before wasting money on new pavement.
- Washington's Public Lands Were Run by a Patchwork. Reformers Wanted One Powerful Board.
A joint legislative committee concludes that county tide-land boards, roving land cruisers and district attorneys have wasted public money, and recommends a three-member state land board to manage school and tide lands.
- Police Politics in Whatcom
A City Council meeting devolves into bickering as members attempt to oust a police captain through manufactured charges.
- The City Balked at the Price and Walked Away From the Jury
Facing a jury ready to award thousands for a lot Seattle wanted for a street extension, the city's corporation counsel dismissed the condemnation suit rather than pay what he judged too much.
- Seattle Athletic Club's Humiliating Baseball Defeat
The home team suffers a crushing 17-1 loss to Portland, with spectators dwindling as the game devolved into a series of errors.
- The Rowdy Election of the Territorial Printer
Washington's early legislature devolves into political gridlock as members brawl over the powerful and lucrative appointment of the official Territorial Printer.
- Street Brawl Between Attorneys in Tacoma
A heated dispute over a guardianship case devolved into a brutal physical fight on a Tacoma sidewalk.
- Two Dollars a Head: Seattle's Labor Commissioner Takes On the Employment Agencies
Charged with running the city's free employment office as a union errand boy, Commissioner John Lamb answers that the private agencies have been selling men jobs that do not exist.
- The Judge, the Stenographer, and the $2,000 Bill the County Refused to Pay
A Yakima County water-rights trial dragged on for weeks. When the judge tried to stick taxpayers with the stenographer's tab, the state Supreme Court stepped in and said no.
- The Prosecutor's Record: 'Arrest on Suspicion, Investigate Afterwards'
A Stevens County election fight turns on the county's criminal docket — who jailed innocent men, and who got his convictions.
- The Trial That Wasn't: Tacoma’s Libel Case Collapses Into Farce
A high-profile libel trial in Tacoma devolves into legal sophistry and personal insults, revealing the chaotic state of territorial justice.
- The New Guard: King County Elects a 'Clean Sweep' of Officials to Replace Corrupt Incumbents
As the new Republican administration takes power in Washington, local voters in King County have ousted a slate of officials they deemed unfit, installing a 'splendid set' of men pledged to honesty and efficiency amid rapid growth.
- The Roslyn Wedding Brawl
A double wedding in the Hungarian quarter of Roslyn devolved into a chaotic riot involving knives and heavy drinking.
- Vigilante Justice in Shelton
A local dispute over stolen money devolves into a gunpoint standoff on the water near Shelton.
- The Mayor as Judge, Jury, and Prosecutor
Mayor Ronald faces criticism for holding hearings where he acts as the sole arbiter in a case involving the removal of city health officials.
- Civic Disruption at City Hall
Mayor forces order after council members devolve into petty squabbles during public business.
- The Foundation of the State: A Warning Against Corporate Capture
In March 1889, just weeks before Washington’s statehood, the Post-Intelligencer warns voters that powerful corporations are maneuvering to control the new government’s constitution.
- The Railroad That Bought Its Way to Glory
While the rest of Seattle debates politics and morality, a coalition of bankers and developers is quietly laying the groundwork for the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, betting millions on land and gold bonds.