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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 53 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 7 |
| 1860 | 13 |
| 1861 | 59 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 46 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 57 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 221 |
| 1892 | 194 |
| 1893 | 107 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 113 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 94 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 10 |
1,310 stories
- The Territorial Legislature’s Failed Loyalty Pledge
A political standoff in the Washington Territorial Legislature over Union support reveals the region's deep sectional divisions during the Civil War.
- The Union Ticket: Thurston County's 1862 Political Campaign
As the Civil War rages, local political factions organize mass meetings to nominate candidates and define their loyalties in Olympia.
- Olympia Organizes Aid for Civil War Wounded
Prominent citizens gather to create a territorial support network for Union soldiers.
- The Territorial Legislature Deadlocked
In early December 1862, Olympia's legislative session began in disarray, with power struggles over credentials and procedural maneuvering stalling the body's organization.
- The 1863 Legislative Session Wraps Up
A look back at the territorial assembly's busy session, featuring a major overhaul of the legal code, debates over the Idaho statehood movement, and the struggles of members waiting on federal pay.
- Call for Cavalry to Protect the Frontier
Oregon and Washington territory officials seek recruits for an expedition against the Snake Indians.
- The Copperhead Election: A Territory Divided
Following a contentious election, the Washington Standard dissects the narrow defeat of the Union candidate and accuses the opposition of disloyalty.
- Volunteers Needed for the Snake Indian Campaign
A call for enlistment in the Oregon Cavalry to combat indigenous resistance on the frontiers of Washington Territory.
- The 'Motherhood' Suffrage Trap
A satirical bill in the state legislature proposes limiting the vote to mothers, sparking outrage and a sharp-witted response from suffragists.
- The '$11,000 Gold' Sack That Held Only Tire Chains
A suffrage lobbyist carried a bank sack labeled with a fortune through Spokane and Olympia, letting fellow passengers believe she was transporting the campaign fund. It was full of automobile chains.
- A Temperance Bill Debate Turns Into Two Fistfights in Olympia
A Spokane legislator and a Spokane newspaperman trade blows on the House floor over a local-option petition.
- Washington Senate Tries to Ban Election Pledges—After Being 'Buncoed' by the Anti-Saloon League
Lawmakers voted 27 to 11 for a 'freak bill' disqualifying legislators who promise support for bills before election, then added a rider against corporation lawyers. Legal scholars called it unconstitutional.
- Olympia Legislative Chaos
A bitter brawl erupts in the Washington House over a new criminal code, featuring accusations of 'jobbery' and an eleventh-hour ban on private-home gambling.
- Territorial Road Building: Public Duty or Private Profit?
Early Washington legislators debate the morality of state-funded road construction that prioritizes commercial routes over local infrastructure.
- The Fight for Indigenous Names on Territorial Maps
A territorial legislator argues that replacing English place names with Indigenous ones will stop mail from being misdirected and honor the region's history.
- The Struggle to Become a Citizen and a Tradesman
A legislator argues that the Donation Land Law is forcing tradesmen into failed farming careers, harming the region's economy.
- The Temperance Crusade Comes to Olympia
A prominent attorney argues for a 'Maine Liquor Law' to suppress the liquor trade in Washington Territory.
- The Special Agent's Plea for Peace
Michael T. Simmons, newly appointed Indian Agent, calls for an end to liquor sales and unauthorized violence in the Puget Sound region.
- The Fight Over Suffrage for Mixed-Race Citizens
Territorial legislators debate whether citizens of mixed white and Indigenous heritage should be granted the right to vote.
- The 1854 Territorial Criminal Code
A comprehensive look at the foundational laws of Washington Territory, detailing everything from murder and manslaughter to the prohibition of kidnapping and coerced servitude.
- The Pioneer Argument Against Prohibition
An 1854 speech by legislator Mr. Chenoweth argues that legal coercion is a poor substitute for individual morality in the fight against intemperance.
- The First Legislative Assembly of Washington Territory Adjourns
After intense deliberation and the drafting of a new legal code, Washington’s first territorial lawmakers closed their session in Olympia.
- The Rule of Law in the Wild West
A deep dive into the 1854 Washington Territorial legal code governing criminal trials, bail, and the rights of the accused.
- Establishing the People’s Court
Legislative action mandates the election of local probate judges to manage wills, estates, and guardianship for the Territory.
- The Struggle for Deep Water in Old Olympia
Boosterism meets the reality of geography as a local entrepreneur attempts to build a deep-water wharf to secure Olympia's economic future.
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