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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 18 |
| 1904 | 788 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1909 | 716 |
1,529 stories
- The Struggle for a Tacoma Grand Jury
After years of bureaucratic stonewalling, a grand jury is finally set to probe corruption within Tacoma’s county government.
- The Legislative Hangover of the Anti-Saloon League
How the obsession with prohibition paralyzed the Tacoma legislature and derailed actual governance.
- Tacoma's Congressman Betrays the People in D.C.
Francis W. Cushman aligns with political bosses, voting against rules that would have allowed for greater congressional transparency and legislative accountability.
- The Battle to Protect Civil Service Reform
Tacoma’s City Council faces a showdown as political machines push to dismantle merit-based municipal hiring.
- The Iron Horse Makes Tacoma its Home
The Great Northern Railroad shifts its western terminus to Tacoma, promising a population boom and shifting the city's status in the eyes of national rail agents.
- City Council Blocks Charter Reform
Tacoma councilmen stall special election for new commission-style government to protect existing political machines.
- Tacoma Citizens Demand Commission Government
Frustrated by the city council's refusal to act, reformers begin a petition drive to force a charter revision election.
- City Hall Capitulates to Charter Reformers
Facing 1,600 petitioners, Tacoma city councilors vote to place commission government proposal on the ballot rather than face a forced election later.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Charter
As the city council calls for a special election to rewrite the municipal charter, citizens are warned to watch for corporate interests looking to hijack the reform movement.
- Voters Reject Park Board’s $750,000 Tax Hike
Tacoma citizens shut down a massive bond proposal, citing a lack of transparency and fears of bureaucratic extravagance.
- The City’s Endless Debt Cycle
Tacoma’s casual approach to borrowing is mortgaging the future.
- The Power War on the White River
A citizen writes to the editor warning that corporate legal battles over water rights could stifle industrial growth for all of Tacoma.
- Tacoma's 1904 Election Pits Mayor Against Saloons
As the municipal election approaches, the city finds itself divided between Mayor Campbell’s 'clean' town and George P. Wright’s 'wide open' policy.
- Predatory Lending Against Tribal Land
Legal battle initiates to annul a property deed used as predatory collateral for a small cash loan.
- The Business of City Hall
Mayor-elect George P. Wright promises a new, business-minded administration for a debt-burdened Tacoma.
- Violence at the South Tacoma Shops
An Italian laborer is taken into custody following a brutal altercation involving a lead pipe at the Northern Pacific facility.
- The $1,000 Bribe for Slot Machine Protection
Owners of 100 slot machines propose a monthly payment to the city for the privilege of operating under police protection.
- Manacled to the Courthouse
Two murder suspects arrive in Judge Snell's court in shackles to face capital charges as the city watches.
- Lecture on the African American Experience
Dr. I. W. B. Bowen of Atlanta addresses the First Methodist Church regarding the progress and social challenges of the Black community.
- The Perilous 42-Day Voyage of the SS Shawmut
Passengers recount a chaotic journey from Manila to Tacoma, marked by boiler failures, mutinous crews, and the tragic deaths of three firemen.
- The Fire Chief Fired Over a Fourth of July Parade
A political power struggle ends the tenure of Tacoma's fire chief after he defied the Mayor's orders to march in the holiday parade.
- The Telephone Bribery Scandal
Accusations of bribery within the City Council threaten to boil over as councilmen attempt to backpedal on their support for an investigation.
- Lockwood Hansen, 18, Faces Amputation After Launch Propeller Accident
A young worker faces the loss of his limb after a horrific accident involving a naphtha launch propeller.
- Testimony Unfolds in Local Murder Trial
A witness claims the defendant expressed intent to kill over a financial dispute in the Northern Pacific freight yards.
- Domestic Violence and a Locked House
A city employee’s wife seeks divorce and alimony after a series of alleged violent outbursts and domestic exclusion.