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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
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52 stories matching futil
- The Seattle Fire That Almost Burned the Town
An incendiary blaze at the old Coffee and Elbow Saloon nearly consumed downtown Seattle in a narrow escape that left hundreds of men standing by with buckets.
- The Great Tacoma Hack Scandal
A political feud between rival Democratic factions in Tacoma takes an absurd turn when unpaid livery bills surface after a failed mayoral campaign.
- The Nose on Opera Alley
A romantic dispute in Tacoma ends in a grisly, bizarre act of violence and a futile scavenger hunt through the snow.
- The Persistent Threat of the Louisiana Lottery
Despite legislative victories and public condemnation, the infamous Louisiana Lottery scheme attempts to relocate its base of operations to Honduras to exploit U.S. citizens.
- The Tragic End of the Ferndale
A British bark shattered by Grays Harbor breakers leaves sixteen dead, but a local woman's bravery saves three survivors from the surf.
- The Iron Road vs. The River: A 19th Century Fight for Seattle's Future
An editorial from 1877 argues that the future of the Northwest lies in narrow-gauge railroads rather than the unruly Columbia River.
- The Riotous Destruction of a Home
When a house caught fire, neighbors and bystanders didn't just help extinguish the flames—they tore the home apart.
- Prohibition Raids Reach Benton County Cellars
A Hover couple is left in tears after the Sheriff enforces the state's dry laws on their home-made vintage.
- A Three-Year Winning Streak Dies on the Question of Military Training
Kennewick's high school debaters argued the affirmative for military drill in Washington schools and ran into a Sunnyside team that had all the good evidence — their first loss in three years.
- The Narrow Escape of the Portland Express
When armed bandits flagged down a Northern Pacific passenger train near Roy, the engineer made a split-second decision to keep the throttle open.
- Seattle's Fruit Inspection Racket: Dumping California Produce to Protect Local Markets
A dispute over British Columbia's fruit inspection leads The Ranch to admit that Puget Sound inspectors have used the law to condemn California and Oregon fruit, easing market congestion and raising questions about regulatory abuse.
- The Futility of the Gallows
One month after Seattle's first judicial execution of a white man, the local press questions whether state-sanctioned violence actually deters crime or simply breeds contempt for the law.
- A Jailbreak on the Great Northern Tracks
A Newport prisoner slipped his cuffs and bolted during a chain-gang march, leading the new overseer on a running gunfight through the stumps.
- The Fire That Killed a Hotel
A disastrous downtown blaze consumed the Star Theater, inadvertently scuttling a major quarter-million-dollar property deal.
- The Sudden Passing of Captain E. A. Starr
A beloved community leader and steamship captain dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances.
- A Fatal Flood in the Power House
A toddler drowns after a massive water main bursts inside her family's living quarters at the local utility plant.
- Newport Saloon Owners Sue the Railroad That Remade Their Street
John Koch and Max Weinkauff say the Idaho Washington Northern turned Fourth Street from a business center into a smoky, obstructed nuisance—and they want $10,000.
- Thirty Ballots and No Senator: Olympia's Republican Caucus Breaks Apart
After thirty futile ballots, Wilson's supporters bolted rather than back Ankeny, leaving Washington's Republican legislative caucus deadlocked and King County's delegation exposed.
- The Property Battle for Old Seattle
A lawyer and property claimant fight to secure titles to a sprawling Seattle donation land claim amidst territorial legal confusion.
- The Cross-Threaded Nozzle That Cost Ellensburg the Race
In an 1889 hose-cart contest, North Yakima’s fire team beat Ellensburg—but the day’s real drama was a stuck coupling and a heartbroken nozzleman.
- A Wall of Flame at Newport's Doorstep
Wind-driven fires jump trenches in the Pend Oreille timber country, threatening Scott's Addition and costing ranchers and mills thousands in cordwood and logs.
- Metaline's Mines Are Ready to Roar—If the Railroad Arrives
With the Idaho Washington Northern extending toward Sullivan Creek, Metaline district companies are staffing up, building mills, and betting on a shipping boom.
- The Fire Commissioners' Two Failed Moves to Fire the Chief
Two Seattle fire commissioners tried twice in one meeting to unseat Chief Hunt — first with a citizens' petition, then with a charge that he had lied to get his naturalization papers.
- The Winter War Blueprint: An 1858 Campaign to Subdue the Tribes
A field letter from the Indian war in Oregon and Washington urges the Army to occupy the Colville Valley, cut off Indigenous trade, and expel missionaries and Hudson’s Bay Company employees.
- The Keeley Cure Comes to Olympia
Olympia's Keeley Institute promises release from drink, and the Tribune opens a discreet charity fund for patients who cannot pay.