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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 5 |
| 1858 | 7 |
| 1859 | 14 |
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 15 |
| 1862 | 12 |
| 1863 | 8 |
| 1864 | 6 |
| 1865 | 3 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 28 |
| 1876 | 191 |
| 1877 | 131 |
| 1878 | 81 |
| 1879 | 11 |
| 1880 | 27 |
| 1882 | 29 |
| 1883 | 158 |
| 1884 | 78 |
| 1885 | 130 |
| 1886 | 60 |
| 1887 | 66 |
| 1888 | 77 |
| 1889 | 189 |
| 1890 | 45 |
| 1891 | 159 |
| 1892 | 323 |
| 1893 | 227 |
| 1894 | 219 |
| 1895 | 215 |
| 1897 | 4 |
| 1898 | 33 |
| 1899 | 53 |
| 1900 | 17 |
| 1902 | 6 |
| 1903 | 144 |
| 1904 | 114 |
| 1905 | 28 |
| 1907 | 17 |
| 1908 | 131 |
| 1909 | 263 |
| 1910 | 79 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1914 | 50 |
| 1915 | 59 |
| 1916 | 93 |
| 1917 | 48 |
| 1918 | 12 |
| 1922 | 2 |
| 1923 | 16 |
| 1924 | 11 |
| 1925 | 7 |
| 1928 | 2 |
| 1929 | 1 |
3,712 stories matching town
- Ballard’s Big Expansion Ambitions
The growing town of Ballard moves to annex territory, aiming to secure land before Seattle can claim it.
- Wenatchee Residents Clash with Development Company
Town residents are resisting a development company's attempt to force the relocation of the town center to a less desirable site.
- The Last Beaver Near Town
A hunter traps a 50-pound beaver just south of town, signaling the disappearance of local wildlife.
- Newport’s Financial Reckoning
Facing a mounting deficit and unpaid warrants, the town council moves to put a bond measure before voters to keep the lights on.
- The Battle for the Rails: Monopoly vs. The Public Good
A scathing editorial from 1885 outlines the clash between the Union Pacific’s 'business-first' model and the Northern Pacific's alleged strategy of political bribery and town-site speculation.
- Olympia Declares War on Loose Hogs
A newly passed town ordinance empowers the Marshall to seize and auction off any swine wandering through the streets of Olympia north of Union Street.
- The Ghost of Tacoma's Original Downtown
Before the railroad turned Tacoma into a boomtown, the city's future was fought over by competing pioneers and land speculators.
- Newport Left in the Dark as Town Council and Electric Company Deadlock
A standoff between the town council and Northern Electric leaves Newport without streetlights, prompting fears of crime and a possible new franchise.
- A Train Spark Nearly Burned Orient Off the Map
A Spokane Falls Northern train set the timber alight near Orient, and residents, ranchers, miners, and railroad crews turned out to keep the flames from swallowing the town.
- The Dry Wave Hits Stevens County
Voters mandate the closure of saloons outside incorporated towns, leaving the region scrambling for legal spirits.
- The Dry Wave Hits Stevens County
Voters mandate the closure of all saloons outside incorporated towns, forcing a major shift in local nightlife and commerce.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Autonomy
Citizens of Old Town successfully revolt against a legislative push to consolidate the region into a single city, fearing the loss of local school and post office funds.
- The Town Marshal’s New Power: Who Gets to Live in Olympia?
In March 1860, Olympia’s Board of Trustees passed a controversial ordinance targeting Native residents, requiring them to have special permission from the Marshal to reside on any street or vacant lot.
- Kennewick Bowlers Best the Highlanders
A tight-knit local rivalry sees the town team secure their first victory in a high-stakes pin-crashing showdown.
- The Ministerial Alliance Demands a Closed Town
Tacoma ministers mobilize to pressure Mayor-elect George P. Wright into enforcing a 'closed' town policy, sparking pulpit debates across the city.
- The Queen City’s Wealth
Seattle's tax assessments reveal a period of explosive growth, positioning the town as the financial center of the Pacific Northwest.
- A Californian Comes Back After Five Years and Can't Believe His Eyes
Property owner C. E. Williams steps off the train expecting the old town and finds a boom instead—then pledges to spend freely fixing up the derelict second story of his block.
- Springdale Burned. The Reformer Didn’t Miss an Issue.
A fire swept away Springdale’s entire business district and wiped out its newspaper office. Editor Burrows still published an account of the blaze and promised a new press.
- The Ghost Town Gambit
A scathing exposé of how the Northern Pacific Railroad manipulated land values and abandoned the established citizens of Yakima City for a new, company-owned townsite.
- The House on Rollers: Moving an Entire Hotel to Save a Town
When the Northern Pacific Railroad bypassed Old Yakima, developers physically relocated the town's buildings—including the Holland House—to the new site, one mile at a time.
- Stevens County Sets a Date to Vote the Saloons Out
With the petition deadlines cleared, the county auditor orders a Nov. 9 local-option election — and the dry forces, organized out of Colville, are predicting the small-town saloons are finished.
- Newport’s Booster Campaign
The local Commercial Club secures new members and funding to aggressively market the town's growth and resources.
- Tacoma Mayoral Race Centers on Clean Government
As the mayoral race heats up, the local press weighs in on the divide between a 'closed' city and the advocates for a wider-open town.
- A Mild Smallpox Case Was Enough to Bar Old Town Pupils From School
One patient recovering at the Newport Hotel and one suspected case in quarantine lead the school board to suspend every old-town child — though, as patrons point out, none of them had been exposed.
- The Wild New Town of Penn’s Cove
Construction is booming at the head of Penn’s Cove as a new town rises, while residents grapple with a local scarlet rash and the arrival of a new real estate office.