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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1876 | 7 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 15 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 6 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 15 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 25 |
| 1893 | 23 |
| 1894 | 15 |
| 1895 | 19 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1903 | 9 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 6 |
| 1909 | 15 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1925 | 2 |
223 stories matching torn
- A Painful Mishap at the Mill
While working in the busy industrial quarter of Seattle, a laborer suffers a horrific injury to his arm.
- The City That Forgot Its Sidewalks: Seattle’s Shameful Neglect of Cherry Street
In October 1878, the Seattle Daily Intelligencer blasted local property owners for leaving a major commercial intersection in a state of dangerous disrepair, highlighting the early struggle between private neglect and public safety.
- The Unlawful Demolition of a Family Home
A Seattle property owner sues for damages after his house was forcibly torn down and hauled away by a mining company.
- Shanties Cleared at University Street
The City Council orders the destruction of precarious housing at the waterfront, forcing residents out to make way for development.
- The Shanty That Refused to Die
A year after the grand Yeager Building rose on Front Street, a flimsy wooden shack still blocks the sidewalk—proof that Seattle’s building codes are mere suggestions.
- Main Street Reshaped: Col. Squire’s Development
Col. Watson C. Squire initiates the demolition of aging buildings behind the Brunswick and Arlington hotels, signaling a period of major urban redevelopment in Seattle.
- The Bear That Bit Back: Deputy Collector’s Narrow Escape from Tax-Collecting Felines
In a bizarre twist of frontier justice in Toledo, Washington, two tame bears were unleashed on a deputy revenue collector after their Italian owner refused to pay taxes.
- City Condemns Waterfront 'Rookeries'
Building inspectors flag unsafe conditions on Pacific Avenue, marking the latest demolition in a series of condemned buildings.
- Olympia’s Main Street to be Ripped Up for Electric Rails
A long-standing conflict between local transit companies is resolved, clearing the way for new track construction and pole installation.
- The Ghost on the Forest Trail
A lone rider’s remains, discovered near Enumclaw, spark a haunting reflection on the anonymous lives lost in the rush to settle the wild West.
- The York Hotel Marked for Destruction
A landmark Seattle building is deemed a hazard after Great Northern tunnel work destabilizes its foundation.
- The Fight for the Graveyard
Puyallup Indians threaten to dismantle a parsonage built on their burial grounds as tensions over reservation land ownership flare.
- Steamer and Clipper Collide in Seattle Harbor
A strong ebb tide causes the steamer South Coast to drift into the anchored clipper Thermopylae, destroying a smokestack and damaging both vessels.
- Mystery at East Clallam
Two Indigenous men vanish after a suspicious boat wreck, leaving only a shredded canoe and a missing shoe behind.
- A Premature Blast Tore Apart 'Lead' Long's Face Near Metaline
A miner known across the district was badly hurt at the Wake Up Jim prospect when a blast went off early, and details were slow to reach Newport.
- Gambler's Lonely End in Dayton
An unidentified man found with a revolver and playing cards leaves behind a cryptic note.
- Lost for Days, 'Scotty' Crawls Out of the Metaline Woods
A young hunter loses his way near Sullivan Lake and survives on luck, hunters, and sheer endurance—shoes worn through and fingernails down to the quick.
- Storm Topples Telegraph Poles, Threatening Streets
A morning windstorm turned a downtown intersection into a dangerous thicket of downed lines, nearly causing a panic.
- The Trial of Little Willie Holmes
A young miner stands accused of killing a coworker in Franklin, revealing a community torn between justice and sympathy for the accused.
- Pheasant Hunters Ravage Local Farms
Ranchers and farmers in the valley are threatening to close their land to public hunting after a wave of vandalism during the opening of pheasant season.
- Carpenter Nearly Killed by Falling Lumber
A routine day at a harbor mill turns into a life-threatening accident for a local carpenter.
- The Wreck of the Brittain
A maritime expert surveys the remains of a vessel lost on the rocks, detailing the disastrous navigation error that caused the sinking.
- Fatal Hole in the Floor
A wrongful death suit against the Front Street Cable Railway Company uncovers a fatal industrial hazard left uncovered by management.
- Tacoma Joins the Pacific Coast League
Local baseball enthusiasts secure a spot in the big league and plan for a new stadium after the city demands the expansion of a street through their old grounds.
- Caught in the Shaft: A Miller's Close Call at Post's Mill
George Hilbert, assistant miller at Frederick Post's flour mill, was nearly torn apart when his foot was snagged by a spinning iron shaft. Quick action by a coworker saved his life.