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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 4 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 7 |
| 1863 | 4 |
| 1872 | 7 |
| 1876 | 19 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 5 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 17 |
| 1884 | 8 |
| 1885 | 24 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 14 |
| 1888 | 15 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 24 |
| 1892 | 56 |
| 1893 | 81 |
| 1894 | 65 |
| 1895 | 52 |
| 1897 | 3 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1899 | 14 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 13 |
| 1904 | 22 |
| 1907 | 3 |
| 1908 | 5 |
| 1909 | 9 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 4 |
| 1923 | 4 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
568 stories matching custom
- Smuggling Silks in His Trousers
A crew member of the steamship Olympia attempts to bypass customs, revealing the era's aggressive enforcement against Chinese laborers.
- A Counterfeit Paper Trail Runs Through Seattle
Seattle customs officials insist no forged Chinese registration certificates have surfaced here, while the stories of two men tied to a San Francisco counterfeiting ring spill into Tacoma and Port Townsend.
- Customs Officials Intercept Opium Shipment
Inspector John A. Plum uncovers a sophisticated smuggling operation involving opium hidden within a picture frame on a train bound for Montana.
- The Custom House Spoils System
A political power struggle over federal appointments in Port Townsend reveals the deep-seated corruption and infighting within the local Democratic Party.
- The Whidbey Island Smuggling Chase
Customs officials miss a boatload of undocumented Chinese immigrants by an hour, highlighting the cat-and-mouse game on the Puget Sound.
- A Boat, a Dog, and Men Hidden in the Drift Logs
Customs officers arrest two men near Point Wilson for running Chinese migrants past the restriction law—a case that exposes how exclusion was enforced on the water.
- A Treasury Man Finds Seattle 'a Revelation'—and Vows to Crush Puget Sound Smuggling
Assistant Secretary Charles S. Hamlin arrives by revenue cutter to inspect customs, promise more launches and officers, and warn opium and Chinese smuggling rings that the federal government is coming.
- Banker Charged in Fraud Scandal
The former cashier of the wrecked Merchants' National Bank is accused of selling worthless drafts to unsuspecting customers.
- Collector Victor Smith Removed from Port Angeles Post
The controversial Collector of Customs for the Puget Sound District is dismissed, replaced by Fred A. Wilson.
- The Strange Order from the North
A local merchant is tasked with sourcing a custom gravestone for an Alaska Native man who is very much alive.
- The War on the Lincoln House
A local wagon manufacturer seeks an injunction against nearby saloons and brothels, claiming they are driving away their customers.
- The Town That Lost Its Custom House
An observant traveler visits Port Townsend and finds a community reeling from political retaliation and questionable pulpit interpretations.
- The Customs Wars at the Port of Townsend
A power struggle over maritime jurisdiction leaves a British ship detained and the business community in an uproar.
- The Waterfront Vigilante: A Seattle Harbor Scandal
A customs official and a boatman ambushed a crew of sailors returning to shore at Point Hudson, leading to a senseless shooting that left a seaman's life hanging in the balance.
- The Strange Detention of the British Yeoman
A British ship captain claims he was arbitrarily detained at Port Townsend while trying to sail for Seattle, fueling local frustration with customs enforcement.
- The Stowaways of the Laurada: A $50 Fine for a Trip North
Two men caught sneaking aboard a steamer bound for Alaska were forced to disembark in Bellingham, facing Canadian customs penalties and a hefty fine.
- The Fatal Tradition of Medicine Men
A tragic report from Klickitat County details the violent death of a traditional healer, highlighting the clash between Indigenous medical customs and outside influences.
- Seattle’s Half-Million Dollar Federal Windfall
Senator Squire secures a unanimous committee recommendation for a $500,000 federal building in Seattle, citing the city's explosive growth and soaring customs receipts.
- The Quillayute and Makah Had Been Trading Across the Strait for Years. Then the Customs Inspector Arrived.
Inspector Fisher of Port Angeles seized $1,500 in blankets, sugar, rope and tinware bought in Victoria, and arrested two Quillayute men who freely admitted the practice — and pleaded it was the custom of years.
- The Vashon Island Opium Cache
Customs inspectors spend a day spading up an orchard on Vashon Island to recover a large stash of smuggled opium.
- The Steamer That Smuggled Opium in Sauerkraut Barrels
A federal seizure of the Walla Walla reveals a shocking loophole: how Pacific Coast Steamship Company executives claim 'skid grease' shipments were actually opium, and why customs officials looked the other way.
- Customs Raid Finds Illicit Opium in Walla Walla
Law enforcement seized $1,000 worth of smuggled opium from Chinese business houses in a coordinated sting operation.
- Smuggling Scandal at Mary Island
A customs official is dismissed for allegedly allowing small craft to run illegal liquor shipments to Indigenous populations, sparking a debate on enforcement limits.
- Infamous Opium Smuggler Returns Home
After serving four years in the state penitentiary, a former customs inspector turned criminal is back in Seattle.
- Seattle Becomes a Global Trade Powerhouse
New customs data reveals Washington state's dramatic rise to the fourth-largest foreign trade district in the nation, driven by an unprecedented export boom.