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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 6 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1872 | 17 |
| 1876 | 52 |
| 1877 | 48 |
| 1878 | 33 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 17 |
| 1882 | 18 |
| 1883 | 41 |
| 1884 | 14 |
| 1885 | 52 |
| 1886 | 19 |
| 1887 | 22 |
| 1888 | 42 |
| 1889 | 81 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 46 |
| 1892 | 95 |
| 1893 | 82 |
| 1894 | 123 |
| 1895 | 48 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 21 |
| 1900 | 5 |
| 1902 | 4 |
| 1903 | 55 |
| 1904 | 35 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 34 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 7 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 8 |
| 1915 | 10 |
| 1916 | 23 |
| 1917 | 7 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1923 | 10 |
| 1924 | 7 |
| 1925 | 3 |
1,126 stories matching lesse
- The Unstoppable Surge: Washington Territory on the Eve of Statehood
A wide-eyed 1889 editorial captures a frontier territory on the brink of a population explosion, detailing the frantic expansion of railroads, coal mines, and lumber mills that turned a 'wilderness' into a commercial powerhouse.
- The Ferryman of the Dark River
An encounter on the waterfront reveals the quiet, lingering melancholy of a man reflecting on the 'old timey days' and the hard reality of post-slavery life.
- The Price of Laundry in 1885 Seattle
As anti-Chinese sentiment surged in 1885, a local steam laundry operator touted the business growth of his 'all-white' enterprise as a replacement for Chinese-run labor.
- The Boom and Bust of Washington Hops
An 1887 agricultural columnist dissects the volatile global hop market, warning Pacific Northwest farmers against reckless expansion while grappling with the realities of 'hired hand' labor versus high-yield ambitions.
- The Bitter Battle for the Port Orchard Dry Dock
A failed bid for a federal contract triggers a nasty public feud between a powerful contractor and a U.S. Senator.
- The Marriage That Lasted Less Than A Week
A young woman in Tacoma files for divorce after discovering her husband was a bigamist and a serial liar who tried to use her as a pawn against her Prohibitionist father.
- The Hop Harvest Wanted White Hands
As nearly 200 people left Seattle for the White and Green River hop fields, growers and the city labor bureau made clear that Native pickers were no longer wanted.
- A Gavel, a Roar, and a Populist Ticket Born in Chaos
King County's People's Party convention at Turner Hall turned into a shouting, proxy-fighting, faction-splitting marathon—and buried Dr. J. Eugene Jordan and Jack McDonald on the way to nominating a ticket.
- Prison Population Explodes
Walla Walla's state penitentiary faces record overcrowding as prisoner count surges to 673.
- The Professor Who Escaped the Shackles: A Seattle Spiritualist’s Audacious Escape
In July 1876, Professor S.S. Baldwin drew a crowd at Yesler’s Hall not for his spiritualist tricks, but for his daring escape from handcuffs and leg irons—a feat that left the audience gasping and proved he was no fraud.
- The Canal Plank That Nearly Tore Washington’s Democrats Apart
In Olympia, King County delegates fought Pierce County over whether to endorse the Lake Washington canal. They settled on a vague promise, then spent the night shouting each other down.
- The Looming Shutdown That Could Paralyze a Nation
With railroad workers and managers deadlocked over the eight-hour day, President Wilson intervenes to prevent a catastrophic strike.
- The great railway washout of 1883
Heavy spring snowmelt triggers dozens of washouts along the railway between Spokane and Ainsworth, leaving passengers stranded in the mud.
- The Cherry Boom: How a Local Cannery Turned Wenatchee’s Orchardists into Millionaires
In July 1905, the Wenatchee Canning Company reported an unexpected surplus of cherries, revealing that local growers were netting $6 per tree—profits impossible to achieve by shipping to Seattle.
- The Seattle Council Mandates a Living Wage for Streetcar Workers
A new city ordinance sets a minimum hourly wage of 25 cents for streetcar crews, capping a heated debate over labor protections in municipal transit franchises.
- The Man Who Built a Road on His Own dime
While Seattle’s leaders debate and delay, a Walla Walla pioneer proves that private enterprise can conquer the wilderness where public funds fail.
- The Case for Decentralizing the Timber Industry
An 1870s editorial argues that Snohomish County loggers are being exploited by giant corporations and proposes a localized milling model to ensure economic independence.
- The Castle on Capitol Hill: Seattle’s $1 Million Gamble for a Grand Hotel
Arthur Denny and his board of trustees have spent months sifting through dozens of architectural plans to find the perfect design for a new landmark. The winner? A Gothic stone fortress that will tower over Second Avenue.
- The Canal That Never Was: How Island Residents Tried to Cut Through the Sound
In 1892, residents of Vashon and Maury Islands held a rally to propose digging a canal through the portage between their islands, aiming to shorten travel times to Seattle and Tacoma.
- The Boomtown That Stretched Itself Thin
A local builder’s report from 1889 reveals how rapid development and land speculation transformed Snohomish into a fragmented town of 'additions,' while warning of an impending labor downturn.
- The 'Big Little Job' of Connecting the Sound
How engineer Nonneman tackled the treacherous swamps and trestle-heavy terrain of the new rail line.
- The Ghost Grain of Walla Walla
City tax records show a $67,000 drop in personal property value as local wheat seems to have vanished from warehouses.
- The Great Ferry Dispute
Citizens in the lower valley unite against a proposal to move the local ferry to the O-W bridge, arguing the location serves only sand and sagebrush.
- The Perils of Over-Irrigation
Federal experts warn that excessive water usage is turning productive land into barren salt marshes.
- 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.