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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 34 |
| 1877 | 19 |
| 1878 | 12 |
| 1880 | 8 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 19 |
| 1884 | 20 |
| 1885 | 31 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 27 |
| 1888 | 55 |
| 1889 | 70 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 24 |
| 1892 | 51 |
| 1893 | 52 |
| 1894 | 49 |
| 1895 | 76 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 25 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 12 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
617 stories matching develop
- The Seattle Land Rush of 1889
A weekly log of deeds and transactions reveals the frenzied pace of development, speculation, and shifting property lines in pre-statehood Seattle.
- The City Rises Against a Heavyweight Bully
When boxing legend John L. Sullivan publicly spewed racist venom in 1892, Seattle’s Afro-American League turned his own brutal rhetoric against him, demanding dignity from the local press.
- Seattle's Crackdown on 'Wine Rooms'
City officials move to outlaw private booths and closed 'wine rooms' in saloons to curb illicit activity.
- The Seattle Housing Boom of 1876
While miners chased gold in North Georgia, Seattle entrepreneurs were busy speculating on 'hard finish' homes in a rapidly developing frontier town.
- Railroad Giant Declares Bankruptcy
The Northern Pacific Railroad has been placed into receivership, signaling a major shift in Northwest transit and land development.
- The Renton Addition: Seattle’s 1889 Speculative Gold Rush
As property developers paved the way for Seattle's expansion, one man's high-stakes sale of the 'cream' of Beacon Hill real estate signaled a city-wide frenzy for land and infrastructure.
- The Coal That Wasn't: A Town’s Brief Hope for a Mining Bonanza
A newcomer to Seattle claims to have found a vein of coal in the hills, sparking local excitement before the details vanish into silence.
- The Road Less Traveled: Seattle’s Shameful Contrast with Victoria’s Fine Highways
In 1876, the local press lambasted King County’s broken road system, praising British Columbia’s turnpikes as a model for Seattle’s own stagnant development.
- Shanties Cleared at University Street
The City Council orders the destruction of precarious housing at the waterfront, forcing residents out to make way for development.
- Street Car Strike Becomes a Lockout
The Seattle streetcar strike has shifted into a lockout, with the company resuming normal operations despite union efforts.
- The Lumber Industry's Long Wait for the Iron Horse
As Seattle's timber economy struggled under local isolation in 1893, local mill owners pinned their hopes for survival on the impending arrival of the Great Northern Railway.
- The Great West Seattle Land Rush of 1889
Before the West Seattle Bridge, developers enticed buyers with dreams of a 'gigantic smelter' and a booming industrial future.
- The Library Was Not a Luxury
An 1895 editorial made the case that a free public library was civic infrastructure, not charity—and that starving it of funds betrayed the city's future.
- The Great Cigar Conspiracy: Seattle Swept Up in Federal Raid
Federal agents seize 12,000 counterfeit cigars in the city's tenderloin, exposing a massive fraud ring stretching from Pennsylvania to the Pacific Northwest.
- Main Street Reshaped: Col. Squire’s Development
Col. Watson C. Squire initiates the demolition of aging buildings behind the Brunswick and Arlington hotels, signaling a period of major urban redevelopment in Seattle.
- The Dream of the Suburban Acre
In 1891, developers marketed the 'choicest' acre tracts in the newly burgeoning suburbs of Seattle, promising growth along the Rainier Avenue Electric Railway.
- The $100,000 Flip: How a Seattle Speculator Made a Fortune on the Corner of Pike and Pioneer
While the city debates housing affordability, a quiet real estate deal reveals how early developers turned modest lots into massive wealth in just one year.
- Bondholders Move to Foreclose on Seattle's Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad
Reorganization committee member says nearly all $8.4 million in bonds are deposited; predicts traffic will grow when business revives.
- The Diamond Ring Dispute
A local woman and her acquaintance face off in court over a $1,000 diamond ring, debating whether it was a gift or a loan.
- The Mystery of the Man on Brannan Place
A brutal murder discovery in Seattle sends a shockwave through the city after a dock worker is found with his pockets turned inside out.
- The End of the Steamship Monopoly
Competition heats up on the Sound as new steamer lines challenge the dominance of the Villard railroad and boat combinations.
- The Decades-Long Battle for the McAleer Tract Ends in Court
After years of tangled legal claims, Judge Hanford rules against the McAleer heirs, clearing the way for new development on a large, vacant stretch of land once visible from the old Lake Washington cable cars.
- The City's Claim to the Tide Flats
The state Supreme Court rules that Seattle can extend its streets across tide lands, reshaping the city's waterfront development.
- The Fight for the Lake Union Canal
Congressman Hermann argues for the development of the Lake Union and Washington ship canal in Washington D.C.
- The Boy Who Swallowed a Peanut: A Two-Month Ordeal
A Seattle teenager’s life hangs in the balance after a gust of wind forces a nut into his lung, leading to a dramatic surgical rescue.