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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 468 |
| 1877 | 317 |
| 1878 | 91 |
| 1880 | 97 |
973 stories
- The Steam Laundry That Would Save Your Clothes (And Your Wallet)
In May 1877, Seattle businessman L.D. Frank announced a bold new venture: a steam-powered laundry on Commercial Street that promised to clean clothes faster and cheaper than the traditional Chinese method—while explicitly excluding Chinese workers.
- The Boom on Front and Columbia
As Seattle grew in the summer of 1878, new tenements began rising on the waterfront, promising modern conveniences in the shadow of the bustling docks.
- The Price of a Whitewash Job
A working man in Tacoma learns the hard way that 'at par' is a relative term when his employer tries to pass off devalued currency for honest labor.
- The Giant of Wawawai
A crew grading a road near the Snake River unearths the remains of a man estimated to be thirty feet tall.
- The Wild Foot Race on Commercial Street
Before the city grew, Seattle’s main thoroughfare hosted a high-stakes sprint that drew crowds to the rooftops and left bettors stunned.
- The Unreliable Peer: A Seattle Critique of Jury Bias
An 1878 editorial laments that the 'glory of English law' is being tarnished by jurors who prioritize class bias over evidence.
- The Tramp Economy of Early Seattle
A reporter encounters a 'bummer' among the weeds of Mission Bay, revealing the harsh, transient reality of laborers who roamed the Pacific Coast in the 1870s.
- The Political Pulse of Eastern Washington in 1880
A pre-election report from the territory reveals shifting alliances and Republican optimism across the Cascade divide.
- The Price of Saving the Country
In 1880 Seattle, a local paper captures a cynical, all-too-familiar conversation between two men on the street regarding the true value of political engagement.
- The Boomtown Delusion of 1880
A newly minted Eastern Washington town predicts it will hit 20,000 residents in a decade—the original Seattle-area land speculation fever dream.
- The Governor’s Vision of a Boomtown Territory
Fresh from the East, incoming Governor William A. Newell paints a picture of Washington as a land of boundless natural wealth and rapid expansion.
- The Sad Martyr of Snohomish City
A local official’s descent into obsession over an impossible get-rich-quick scheme mirrors the mania of early Washington's frontier booms.
- The Alpine Music of South Seattle
South Seattle residents protest the discordant 'Alpine music' of roaming livestock that kept the neighborhood awake.
- The Midnight Hazard on Front Street
A pedestrian falls into an open trench, highlighting the lack of basic safety measures in a growing, construction-heavy Seattle.
- Primary Meeting Erupts in Laughter
A political primary meeting takes a humorous turn when a physician makes a pointed jab at the judiciary.
- Washington Territory Moves Toward a Constitutional Convention
Before Washington became a state, residents debated the necessity of a constitutional convention and the potential riches of federal land grants.
- The Forgotten Sick of 1876
Dr. G.A. Weed’s ad for the Seattle Hospital promises care for those without homes, offering medical and surgical treatment at a time when the city was still finding its infrastructure.
- The Price of Early Seattle: A 60x120 Lot for Sale
Before the skyscrapers and the tech giants, a simple real estate listing in the 1876 press reveals the humble origins of land ownership in a budding Seattle.
- The Price of Early Seattle
A real estate notice from 1876 advertises a prime plot of land between Seneca and University—a neighborhood that would eventually become the heartbeat of downtown Seattle.
- The Downtown Seattle Lot That Could Have Been Yours
A 1876 real estate advertisement offers a sprawling 160x120 foot residential parcel in the heart of what is now the metropolitan core.
- The Price of a Seattle Lot in 1876
A modest classified advertisement offers a glimpse into the vanished affordability of downtown Seattle real estate.
- The Price of a 1876 Pioneer Homestead
A modest classified advertisement offers a glimpse into the vanished residential geography of downtown Seattle’s First Hill.
- The Price of Public Charity in 1877
King County seeks the lowest bidder to house and feed the poor, a stark reminder of the nineteenth-century approach to social safety nets.
- The Doctor Is In, and She's Taking Patients by Mail
Mrs. S. D. Hewes, one of the first female medical practitioners in Seattle, opens her doors to the sick in 1878.
- The 'Vanity Fair' Lottery Scandal
When a Seattle game of chance faced accusations of fraud, the proprietor was forced to defend his honor in the pages of the local press.