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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 8 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 13 |
| 1884 | 9 |
| 1885 | 6 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 7 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 10 |
| 1892 | 41 |
| 1893 | 30 |
| 1894 | 28 |
| 1895 | 67 |
| 1897 | 5 |
| 1898 | 5 |
| 1899 | 4 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 24 |
| 1904 | 26 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 8 |
| 1909 | 29 |
| 1910 | 8 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 4 |
| 1915 | 7 |
| 1916 | 15 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 3 |
413 stories matching inspect
- After a Wharf Collapse, a Call for City Inspectors
W.A. Harrington wants Seattle to hire a wharf inspector with power to inspect piling, force repairs and arrest dilatory owners—paid for by an assessment on the wharves themselves.
- The Dirty Truth Behind Everett’s Kitchens
The Civic League exposes unsanitary conditions in local hotels and cafes, sparking a call for strict health inspections and public accountability.
- Tacoma’s Theaters Face Shutdown Over Fire Safety
Following a disaster in Chicago, Mayor Campbell orders city officials to inspect local entertainment venues for fire hazards.
- Seattle's Mayor Vetoes Boiler Safety Bill Over a Clerical Error
Mayor J. T. Ronald sends a steam-boiler inspection ordinance back to the House of Delegates because a duplicated section would not survive court—and warns that a $3 inspection fee has already stirred opposition.
- The Drive to Open the Yakima Reservation
Federal agents inspect the Yakima Reservation as momentum grows to seize and redistribute tribal land to white settlers.
- The Invisible Killer in Your Milk: Seattle’s Health Officer Warns of Tuberculosis Cows
With consumption rates soaring and no dedicated veterinary inspector on staff, local officials admit the city is dangerously unprepared to stop diseased cattle from entering the food supply.
- The Ongoing Fight Against Child Labor
A report on legislative progress and defeats in the movement to protect children from exploitative work in factories and mines.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Considers a New Aberdeen Depot
After hosting railroad officials for a dinner at the Pacific Hotel, Aberdeen boosters feel confident about the city's future rail expansion.
- The Filthy State of Seattle's Bakeries
A state labor inspector finds local bread shops in 'vile' condition, prompting a push for stricter sanitation laws and oversight.
- The Global Reach of Local Butchers
High tariffs and strict inspection laws in Germany trigger a sharp decline in American meat exports, forcing local butchers to lobby for policy change.
- The Embargo on the Sound
Federal quarantine regulations at Port Townsend are throttling commerce and forcing freight ships to run at a loss.
- The Crumbling Promise of Kennewick's Paving
A Walla Walla contractor inspects Kennewick’s failing street improvements and suggests a costly fix to save the city's new oil macadam.
- Walla Walla to Build New County Poor House
After inspecting neighboring Whitman County, local commissioners decide to move from a contract-based system to a county-owned brick facility.
- Diving to the Sunken Andelana
A reporter joins a salvage diver to inspect the wreckage of the British ship Andelana, resting deep beneath the silt of the Puyallup River.
- Eight Dead, and the Steamboat Owners Owe Only $3,500
A federal judge in Seattle limits the Annie Faxon's liability after a Snake River boiler explosion, extending an old maritime rule to inland steamboats.
- A Jury Walks the Ditches: Chewelah’s Drainage War Ends
After weeks of testimony and a field inspection, a jury ruled that draining the Colville Valley would harm no one—clearing the way for the Chewelah district and weakening objections elsewhere.
- The Transparency Tax: A Seattle Taxpayer Rails Against Red Tape
In 1877, a frustrated taxpayer penned a public letter attacking the County Commissioners for mandating expensive, redundant audits of public records, arguing that government transparency should be an everyday right, not a high-priced administrative burden.
- Fifty Dollars for a Clean Bill of Health
A quarantine officer charged a sealing schooner $50 to steam over and inspect her — and shipping men say the fee was less public health than protection money.
- The Mutiny at the Mines
When the National Guard refused to muster out of service after a stint at the King County mines, a military adjutant faced down his own men in a tense standoff over labor and authority.
- The Health Board Targets Opera Alley's Squalor
City officials inspect disease-breeding housing conditions occupied by foreign laborers.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Taps
As the city council hunts for a reliable water source, aggressive machinery lobbyists swarm City Hall, complicating the push for clean, deep-well water.
- The School Board's Hidden Books
A citizen's attempt to audit the Seattle Board of Education sparks a tense confrontation over transparency and the fear of a local 'poorhouse scandal.'
- Henry Villard's High-Stakes Visit to Tacoma
The Northern Pacific Railroad president defends his company's delays and promises a new luxury hotel to soothe local frustration.
- Narrow Escape at the Rock Crusher
A local official survives a gruesome industrial accident after being caught in machinery at a rock crusher site.
- The Cost of a Bridge Inspection
A protracted dispute over demurrage fees for the Puyallup River bridge reaches a compromise, leaving the contractor in the red.