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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 4 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 19 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 4 |
| 1905 | 1 |
63 stories matching willard
- The City Clamps Down on Variety Theaters
Seattle authorities arrest variety theater owners for allowing singing in venues where alcohol is served.
- The Patent Medicine Suicide Hoax
A supposed farewell note found on Yesler Wharf turns out to be a clever, cynical advertisement for a health elixir.
- Ten Gales, Three Lost Schooners, and a Widow Who Wasn't
A Seattle seal hunter back from eight months in the North Pacific describes a season that swallowed whole crews — and explains why he'd rather kill seals with a spear than a gun.
- The Unrest at City Hall
A contentious changing of the guard at the Seattle Police Department sees a new Chief installed and an immediate purge of the city’s captain ranks.
- Midnight Robbers Rule the Streets
A wave of armed robberies plagues Seattle, leaving citizens wary and police in pursuit of a gang masking themselves with skeleton keys and spare rags.
- The Street Preacher on Pioneer Square
A Seattle man, parading through the city with a Bible and an American flag, faces a jury trial to determine his sanity while his wife struggles to support their family.
- The Bunko Men, the Norwegian Sisters, and the Saloonkeeper's Revenge
A shell-game gang swindles two Norwegian sisters out of $300 on the Seattle waterfront; Frank Hart is convicted in three minutes, then a saloonkeeper assaults one of his accusers outside court.
- A Logger's Close Call
A Bainbridge Island logger survives a horrific accident after accidentally slicing his own wrist.
- The Mail Carriage Dispute
Citizens of Olympia clash with their local postmaster over a controversial contract, suspecting graft in the transport of official mail.
- Massive Steel Bridge Project Commences
Construction has begun on the multi-hundred-thousand-dollar steel bridge to span the Columbia, a project slated to take up to 18 months.
- Murder Suspect Taken in Open Court
A witness is arrested for murder while sitting in a Seattle courtroom during a separate trial.
- Tragedy at the Baxter Block
A 5-year-old boy falls to his death from the third-story porch of a residential block at Yesler and Fifth.
- A Failed Holdup on the Streets of Seattle
Two highwaymen with revolvers cornered a pair of locals near the waterfront, only to discover their victims were penniless.
- A Lodging-House Keeper’s Domestic Crisis
After a brief family reconciliation, a proprietor at the Babcock House finds himself abandoned by his wife and young son.
- The Gambling Den Dilemma: Why Seattle’s Top Detective Fought the Ban on Vice
When City Council shut down gambling houses to clean up the streets, Detective Corbett warned that vice wouldn't disappear—it would just scatter and hide.
- The Long Walk Home: A Traveler’s Ordeal on the Skagit River
In April 1876, a visitor to Snohomish County recounts a grueling journey through mud, tides, and broken steamers, highlighting the isolation of early Washington settlements.
- The Strange Death of a Traveling Salesman
A tragic overdose or a calculated theft? The suspicious death of a Seattle canvasser sparks an inquest and accusations of poisoning.
- The 'Rocky Mountain Hustler' in the City Jail
A teenager’s father attempts to use the courts to release his son, who was arrested for holding up a local grocer.
- The Price of Public Care
King County officials weigh competing bids for the medical and basic care of the county's poor in 1883.
- The End of the Chain Gang
Whitman County commissioners vote to abolish the work gang, sparking a rift with the sheriff and frustrated local farmers.
- The Nickel-in-the-Slot Return
Following a court ruling, Walla Walla's gambling machines reappear on city streets, leaving police and officials at odds over enforcement.
- The Chief Knew Seattle’s Dance Halls Were Selling Beer. He Had One Question.
A Post-Intelligencer investigation found liquor flowing openly in variety theaters despite state law and police orders—then the police chief asked reporters whether it was true.
- Candy, Land Claims and a 'Confidence Man': Arlington's Commissioner Hits Back
George Morrell denies stealing ginger snaps and swindling settlers—then accuses his accuser of running an extortion racket with a Seattle police escort.
- The Doctor Who Didn't Report Scarlet Fever
A Seattle physician is hauled into court for failing to tell the health office about a sick child — a test of the city's power to track contagious disease.
- The Midnight Champagne Heist
Six boys caught red-handed in a dance hall after looting a bonded warehouse on the Seattle waterfront.