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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 4 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 28 |
| 1893 | 31 |
| 1894 | 20 |
| 1895 | 10 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 8 |
| 1904 | 16 |
| 1909 | 9 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
216 stories matching trigger
- Race Riot Erupts in Opera Alley
A domestic dispute over smoke turns into a mob confrontation between a Black household and local Italian residents.
- Seattle Seeks to Regulate Motorists After Fatal Crash
A tragic accident at First and Madison streets triggers a new city proposal to license all automobile drivers.
- The Great Warehouse Embezzlement
A Shawnee Warehouse agent disappears with the wheat of local farmers, triggering a frantic manhunt from Colfax to Seattle.
- Arson Attempt Targets Chinese Business District
A deliberate fire set in the basement of Wah Chong's store nearly triggers a catastrophe for the city's business sector.
- Dam Break Triggers Flash Flood in Snohomish
A failed dam at Blackman's Lake sent a torrent of water into the heart of town, caving in streets and flooding basements.
- The Shadow Trial of Ah Jim
A secret trial in a Seattle basement nearly triggers a riot, revealing the intense, violent rivalries between competing Chinese merchant factions vying for control over labor and transit.
- The Day the 'Mercury' Office Became a Shambles
After an article called his theater a 'branch of hell,' a local theater manager stormed the newspaper office, triggering a violent brawl and a shooting.
- The Great Tidal Wave Prank of 1893
A fake official weather warning triggers panic and sends nervous citizens scurrying to the hills of Aberdeen.
- The Last Voyage of Arthur Phinney: A Fleet of Steamers Bids Farewell to a Pioneer
In June 1877, the death of Port Ludlow founder Arthur Phinney triggered an unprecedented maritime funeral procession on Puget Sound, uniting rival steamship lines and hundreds of mourners in a tribute to a man who championed labor and community.
- The Black Gold Rush of 1888
As Seattle's industry boomed, the city's hunger for coal outpaced its supply, triggering a frantic expansion of mines across the territory.
- A Deadly Afternoon on the Duwamish
A quiet afternoon of target practice turns into a desperate race for survival as a husband accidentally shoots his wife, triggering a high-speed rescue down the river.
- The Great Squatter Takeover of 1891
A landmark court ruling in Tacoma triggered a chaotic, overnight land grab as hundreds of squatters claimed property near the city's residential core.
- The Great Railway Land Grab: Seattle's 1886 Battle Over Public Domain
A federal report exposes how the Northern Pacific Railroad claimed millions of acres in Washington Territory without legal authority, triggering a massive reclamation effort.
- The Pig War: How a Single Foraging Hog Nearly Triggered a Border War
A look back at the bizarre diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and Britain on San Juan Island, sparked by a hungry pig in a settler’s garden.
- The Roslyn Bank Robber Hunt
An anxious stranger trying to sell a fine sorrel horse for half its value triggers a manhunt in Kent after a daring daylight bank heist.
- Street Grading Blunder Ruins Home
A Seattle property owner sues for $10,000 after city street work triggers landslides.
- Who Stole the Northern Pacific Express Gold?
A three-thousand-dollar payroll shipment vanishes from a Seattle express office, triggering threats, a dramatic interrogation, and accusations of internal negligence.
- Border officials block Chinese merchant entry
New federal regulations trigger a strict enforcement crackdown on Chinese residents returning to Seattle.
- The Deadly Logic of the Cabin Trap
A man sets a shotgun trigger to protect his home, with fatal consequences for a stranger.
- The Asylum Poisoning Scandal
A state mental hospital is rocked by accusations that a patient was murdered, triggering a battle between local officials and an Eastern chemist.
- Warm Rain Triggers Slides and Floods Across Puget Sound
A winter warm spell melts mountain snow, sending mudslides across the Great Northern line and flooding the Skagit Delta, stranding passengers and threatening crops with salt water.
- The Fight Over Who Owns the Reservation
A legal battle over assessing Puyallup Indian lands triggers a debate on citizenship and taxation in the Superior Court.
- The Councilman Who Said No to $132,000
Councilman Conrad rejects a massive bribe offer, triggering a city-wide scandal and the mysterious flight of a corporate agent.
- Officer Gunned Down in Seattle Scuffle
A patrolman was killed in a midnight shootout while attempting to arrest a suspected bandit, triggering a city-wide manhunt.
- The Tragedy of the Forgotten Mine
A suspected mining accident in Whatcom County may finally explain the mysterious disappearance of four Finnish laborers months earlier.