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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 17 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 11 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 4 |
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| 1886 | 5 |
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| 1893 | 31 |
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| 1908 | 5 |
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| 1923 | 1 |
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236 stories matching panic
- The Fire Insurance Panic
Seattle insurance agents threaten to hike rates due to the city's dangerously narrow alleys.
- The Bank Failed, but the Panic Didn't Come
When Merchants' National Bank closed in 1895, depositors lined up, then went home reassured. The real scramble was for the receiver's job.
- Smallpox Panic on the Puget Sound
As Tacoma enforces aggressive quarantine measures, fears of contagion drive local authorities to police borders and vaccinate the public.
- Smallpox Panic in Tacoma Lodging Houses
Public health concerns arise as dozens are quarantined in local boarding houses.
- The Price of Panic in 1888 Seattle
When an unfounded rumor of a merchant’s bankruptcy swept through the city, the local business community banded together to stave off a catastrophic bank run.
- West Street Chaos
A runaway delivery horse turns into a multi-wagon wreck near the University Street trestle.
- The Great Tidal Wave Prank of 1893
A fake official weather warning triggers panic and sends nervous citizens scurrying to the hills of Aberdeen.
- Seattle’s 'Industrial Army' Mobilizes for Washington, D.C.
Unemployed workers organize under strict military discipline to march across the country to protest economic conditions during the Panic of 1893.
- City Hall Wreckers Under Fire
Corruption charges against the Board of Public Works spark panic among local politicians as investigators dig for the truth.
- The Ticking Gas-Pipe Scandal
A fearful day in the Burke building as an office worker discovers a 'bomb' left by a disgruntled typist.
- The Good Templars' Uninvited Guest
A mischievous prank involving a ladder, a window, and a large black dog sent the River Park Good Templars' meeting into chaos.
- The Martial Law Panic of 1886
As armed vigilantes patrolled Seattle, labor leaders turned to the President of the United States to stop a coup by force.
- The Smallpox Quarantine Lifted
After weeks of isolation and public panic, Tacoma and Seattle lift travel restrictions as smallpox cases in Victoria stabilize.
- The Bank-Issued Currency of 1893
Facing a national economic panic, Seattle merchants and bankers agree to honor certified checks as local tender to keep the hop harvest moving.
- A Stampede and a Sinking Ferry
When a boiler let off steam while crossing a band of horses, the resulting panic nearly cost a ferry crew their vessel.
- Railroad Profits vs. Living Wages
While railway magnates plead poverty to block pay increases for switchmen, their own financial reports reveal a surplus that tells a different story.
- A Toddler’s Three-Hour Trek Through the Sagebrush
A local mother’s panic turned to relief after tracking her two-year-old child through the scrub for miles.
- A Pioneer Stove Merchant Survives Fire, Panic, and a Receivership
Z.C. Miles arrived in 1870, rebuilt after the Great Seattle Fire, and joined forces with a young executive to create a coast-wide jobbing giant in stoves and electric supplies.
- The Viral Panic of 1924
Washington State launches a defensive campaign against a hoof-and-mouth outbreak in California, warning citizens to watch for 'disease bootleggers' and misinformation.
- Smallpox Rumors Spark Cross-Border Panic
Exaggerated reports of a smallpox outbreak in Seattle lead to international tensions and calls for quarantine from British Columbia authorities.
- The Great Seattle Bonding Debate
City Hall hosts a fiery town hall where residents and officials clash over debt, taxation, and the future of municipal infrastructure.
- The Stencil Building's Lucky Streak
For the third time in its history, a furnace mishap threatens to destroy the Stencil building at Main and Third.
- Will the War Break the Apple Market?
As the Great War erupts in Europe, a leading fruit distributor warns Kennewick growers that panic is their greatest threat.
- The Ghost Stories of the City Reservoir
While typhoid fever rages in Tacoma, the city council struggles to address public panic over rumors of bodies dumped in the water supply.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Meltdown
Shareholders accuse directors of self-dealing as the rail giant enters receivership amid the Panic of 1893.