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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 143 |
| 1877 | 220 |
| 1878 | 187 |
| 1879 | 49 |
599 stories
- The Unfinished House on the River
A rare glimpse into the local property market of territorial-era Snohomish, featuring a 'hard-finished' home and a mill site primed for industry.
- The Treasury’s Call: A Deadline for Snohomish County Debt
An 1875 public notice issued by County Treasurer John D. Morgan warns citizens that the county will stop paying interest on outstanding orders drawn prior to the new year.
- A Frontier Exit Strategy
As one pioneer prepares to leave Snohomish for the East, his massive land divestment offers a snapshot of the region's early agricultural and industrial aspirations.
- The Gateway to the Frontier: Snohomish Land Claims
How local clerk H.A. Gerhardt turned the legal machinery of the 1880s into a bustling bureau for pioneer settlement.
- The Great Timber Sell-Off
Thousands of acres of Snohomish County wilderness go under the hammer as the estate of Arthur Phinney is liquidated.
- The Sheriff’s Auction: Losing the Land in Snohomish
A legal notice from 1878 reveals the harsh reality of frontier debt, as a local resident faces the forced sale of his 120-acre homestead to satisfy a court judgment.
- The Great Price War of 1878
A Seattle mercantile firm attempts to win over Snohomish customers by slashing prices in the face of local competition.
- The Workingman’s Haven in Old Seattle
A look back at the 'American House' boarding operation, offering weekly room and board at the edge of the Seattle waterfront.
- The Price of Survival in Snohomish
An 1880s mercantile firm lays down the law on the local economy, proving that in a timber-boom town, everything—even your credit—has a cost.
- The Prize-Winning Bounty of 1877
A look at the official premium list for the Snohomish County Agricultural Society, revealing the crops, livestock, and domestic crafts that defined the frontier economy of the Washington Territory.
- The Foundation of Washington State’s Civil Liberties
A look back at the original constitutional guarantees of free speech, property rights, and due process that shaped early Snohomish and the state.
- Tools of the Trade: Equipping the Snohomish Valley
A look at the essential machinery and blacksmithing services that powered the growth of Snohomish's logging and agricultural industries in the late 19th century.
- Forging the Frontier: A Snohomish Blacksmith’s Call to Action
As the logging industry expanded in Washington Territory, a local blacksmith reminds farmers and loggers that success hinges on keeping their iron in repair.
- The Weight of Responsibility: A Victorian Lesson for Snohomish Parents
In an 1877 editorial, a Snohomish observer argued that character was a hereditary and domestic inheritance, placing the burden of societal progress squarely on the shoulders of the home.
- The Knox Stallion at Hilton’s Snohomish Ranch
A high-pedigree horse on the banks of the Snohomish River offered a glimpse into the thriving frontier economy of the 1880s.
- The Industrial Heartbeat of Snohomish
Before the town was a bedroom community, it was a frontier hub of iron, wood, and hard labor.
- H. W. Light Prepares River Side Hotel for Guests
A classic 19th-century hospitality update from the heart of early Snohomish.
- The Ghost of a Homestead Claim
When Charles Henry Vauwy vanished from the territory, he left behind a contested homestead and a legal mystery that required the notice of the courts to solve.
- The Best Board in the County
A look inside the 19th-century hospitality of Isaac Cathcart’s Snohomish Exchange, the premier establishment of its time.
- The Struggle for Steady Employment in Snohomish
An 1880s call for local labor to secure work before the winter freeze, highlighting the seasonal instability of early frontier life.
- The Unteachable 'Sixth Sense' of Journalism
An 1876 editorial from the Northern Star debates whether the craft of a reporter can be taught in a classroom or only mastered in the heat of the newsroom.
- The Fowler Ranch Rental
A prime piece of Snohomish riverfront property hits the rental market, offering a glimpse into the agricultural economy of the 1870s.
- The First Professional Survey of the Puget Sound
In 1875, a new map sought to define the rugged, uncharted beauty of the Washington Territory for settlers and investors alike.
- The Price of Survival in Early Snohomish
A look at the 1870s market ledger reveals the volatile costs of basic survival, from milch cows to butter and grain, in the burgeoning river town.
- The Logger’s Sunday Best
A small-town transformation: How one local logger swapped his camp clothes for city attire to blend in with the townspeople.