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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 51 |
| 1895 | 38 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
112 stories matching phelp
- The Price of Credit in Snohomish
A legal summons from 1878 reveals the crushing weight of debt and high-interest loans for local businessmen.
- The Political Shuffle of Seattle's Police Chief
In a closed-door meeting, the police commissioners demoted Chief Willard and installed Bolton Rogers, citing a desire for 'better standards of service.'
- Vigilant Operator Foils Train Robbery
A night operator at the Northern Pacific depot stops three armed train robbers in their tracks after a daring heist on a moving freight train.
- The Mayor Can Fire His Police Commissioners — But He Has to Give Them a Hearing First
Judge Langley rules that Mayor Phelps had the power to remove Commissioners Cheasty and Niggle, but that he skipped the required notice and hearing. Now the hearing looks like a formality — with the mayor sitting as his own judge.
- The Mayor Moves Against the Fire Commissioner
Mayor Phelps suspends Fire Commissioner George T. Masel, files five counts of incompetence and meddling with the chief, and calls a special session to hear them.
- The Struggle for a Streamlined Seattle
Mayor Phelps calls for a total overhaul of the city charter, arguing that the existing system is far too expensive and cumbersome for Seattle’s rapid growth.
- Seattle's Mayor Skeptical of Coxey's Army Arrival
As unemployed men march toward Washington D.C. to demand government action, Seattle's mayor offers little hope for public assistance to the local contingent.
- The Secret Move to Fire Seattle’s Police Chief
A closed-door police commission meeting nearly deposed Chief Bolton Rogers. Commissioners disagreed over politics, fitness, and whether the mayor had already shut the effort down.
- A Perilous Plunge Aboard the City of Panama
An elderly passenger’s fall through an unsecured hatchway exposes the dangerous negligence of a bustling Seattle steamship.
- A Seattle Merchant Sold His Stock, Then Vanished — and His Creditors Want Him Back
Simon Rumpf disappeared sometime after selling the Diamond Palace's goods to J. K. Basye & Co. Detectives are hunting Nuremberg, Honolulu, and a cache of missing merchandise they suspect never left the city.
- The Mayor Fires a Police Commissioner to Save His Chief
Seattle's mayor removes John G. Niggle from the police board, accusing him of protecting prostitution and conspiring to oust Chief Rogers — then demands that two more commissioners resign on the spot.
- Sudden Death of a Civic Leader: Seattle Mourns George H. Heilbron
A prominent newspaperman's unexpected passing prompts a sermon on mortality, a city funeral, and closed banks.
- When Seattle's Mayor Took on Poverty: The 1895 Charity Bureau Meeting
At the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Byron Phelps and local leaders discussed unemployment, aid to families, and the growing demand for relief during a depression year.
- The Price of Credit in Territorial Snohomish
A legal notice from 1878 reveals the steep cost of debt and the cold machinery of territorial law for two local men.
- The Editor and the Chief
The editor of the Seattle Telegraph is charged with criminal libel after publishing a scathing exposé on the police chief's alleged protection of gambling dens.
- Civil War Veterans Reunited at the Rainier Hotel
Two former officers meet at the Rainier Hotel to recount the battles of the Civil War after decades of separation.
- The Great Front Street Fraud: City Council Exposes Fake Petition for Cable Car
In a stunning display of civic integrity, Seattle’s Common Council unmasks a fraudulent petition designed to grant a monopoly cable car franchise, revealing that applicants forged signatures and misrepresented property frontage.
- City Hall's Great Salary Purge
Mayor Byron Phelps fulfills a campaign pledge by slashing the city payroll, cutting departments, and abolishing offices to save over $34,000 annually.
- The Mayor Clears the Room: Phelps Fires a Fire Commissioner and Stares Down a Coup
When Fire Commissioner Masel and two allies tried to break Chief Allen on a trumped-up morals charge, Mayor Phelps suspended Masel for not being a freeholder — and the three commissioners walked out into the night.
- The Mayoralty That Never Was
A political hopeful reveals the crushing cost of running for office in 1891, claiming the 'bankers' and party bosses forced him out of the race.
- The Mayor's Power to Fire: Seattle's Removed Police Commissioners Fight for Their Jobs
J. G. Niggle and E. G. Cheasty argue that Mayor Byron Phelps removed them without notice or hearing—and that the city charter requires cause, not whim.
- The Mayor Tells the Fire Commission Who's Boss
A monthly meeting erupts into a power struggle over Chief Hunt, with Mayor Phelps warning Commissioner Meek that he alone will decide when the fire chief goes.
- Seattle's Mayor Overreached: Judge Langley Voids the Police Commission Firings
The mayor's summary removal of Police Commissioners Niggle and Cheasty was null and void, the court ruled, leaving Chief Rogers in charge and the city's police leadership in limbo.
- A Senator’s Gift of Stone
Senator Watson C. Squire offers the city free rock from his Duwamish River quarries to help jumpstart local street paving efforts.
- Ballard Asked Seattle for a Drink—and Hinted at Annexation
In 1895 Ballard was running on wells and springs. Seattle had Lake Washington to spare, and officials began talking rates, mains, and a merged city.