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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 3 |
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| 1887 | 8 |
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| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1925 | 1 |
145 stories matching void
- City Hall Threatens to Cancel Paving and Bridge Contracts
Tacoma’s City Attorney warns that unfinished public works contracts on Pacific Avenue and the Puyallup River bridge may be nullified.
- The Seat of Government Stays Put
The Supreme Court of Washington Territory voids legislative attempts to relocate the capital from Olympia to Vancouver.
- The $300,000 Legal Battle Over Seattle’s Streets
A landmark court decision challenges the city's liability for street grade warrants, threatening to set a precedent for every municipality in the state.
- City Council Caught in Illegal Power Play
Local officials in Walla Walla are accused of violating the city charter to oust a veteran from his position as poundmaster.
- Federal Ruling Kills Tide Land Speculation
The Secretary of the Interior rejects the use of 'Valentine Scrip' for public tide lands, dealing a blow to speculators in Seattle and Tacoma.
- The Eight-Hour Day Battle in 1887
Washington territorial legislators spar over radical new labor laws, including mandates for an eight-hour workday and the end of company-scrip payment systems.
- The Bottomless Well of Christopher
A routine digging job on a Washington farm turned into a bizarre geological mystery when a well-digger hit a void that seemingly had no end.
- The Letter That Asked: Is Olympia's Street-Tax Ordinance Even Legal?
A citizen signing himself 'Marius' argues that the city's method of charging property owners for street paving and grading violates due process — and warns that if the assessments collapse in court, every taxpayer in town will pay for it.
- The Constitutional Question of Local Option
A landmark court ruling in Dayton challenged the constitutionality of Washington's local option liquor laws, sparking a debate on police power and contracts.
- The Fight Over Seattle’s Streetcar Franchises
The Seattle City Council debates whether 50-year streetcar monopolies should be extended without public bidding, raising questions about corporate influence and municipal control.
- Palouse Settlers Win Decisive Victory Over Railroad Interests
A landmark federal decision voids railroad claims to 'lieu lands,' prompting town-wide celebrations and jubilation among homesteaders.
- The Federal Strike Against Washington's Anti-Cigarette Law
A federal judge declares Washington's prohibition on cigarette sales unconstitutional, setting up a fight between state and federal authority.
- The Great Jury Debate: When Washington Women Fought for the Bench
A landmark 1888 legal dispute threatened to strip women of their newly won right to vote and serve as jurors in Washington Territory.
- The Bank Tax Fight
Walla Walla's local paper launches a campaign against the city council's attempts to grant illegal tax breaks to national banks.
- Street Peddlers Defeat Seattle’s Restrictive Ordinance
A municipal court judge rules that a city ordinance banning fruit and vegetable street vendors is unconstitutional and void.
- Razors in the Aisles: A Seattle Democratic Convention Turns Violent
When an attempt to integrate the local Democratic party erupted in a brawl, the chair was sent flying and the local police were called to restore order to a chaotic political meeting.
- The Great Land Reclaim: The Fight Over Northern Pacific’s Unearned Rails
A legislative push in 1886 aimed to strip the Northern Pacific Railroad of vast swaths of public land it held but failed to build upon, seeking to return it to settlers.
- The Case of the Empty Bond: A Cautionary Tale of Corruption in Walla Walla
When an elected official absconded with nearly $20,000 in public funds, the court had to decide if his sureties were still on the hook—even though they had signed a blank piece of paper.
- The Textbook Battle of 1889
A territorial judge intervenes in a shady school board maneuver, protecting a private contract against a chaotic board meeting.
- A Victory for Property Rights Against a Flawed City Tax
A Superior Court judge voids a municipal tax sale, finding that the city failed to follow mandatory legal procedures.
- Jefferson Street Was Graded on Paper
Homeowners refused to pay an assessment for street work they say was never properly authorized—or finished.
- The Dry Crusade Draws Its 1911 Battle Lines
Washington's Anti-Saloon League maps out its legislative program — county local option, import bans, and a pledge to publish the names of anyone holding a federal liquor license in dry territory.
- The Price of a Divorce
After abandoning her marriage to live with another man, Phoebe Bovee loses her claim to their shared property in court.
- The Great Land Grant Rebellion
Farmers in the Snake River region revolt against the Northern Pacific Railroad's land policies, demanding the forfeiture of unearned land grants.
- The City’s Legal Train Wreck
A ruling against Tacoma’s property tax scheme for street improvements threatens to bankrupt local progress, leaving the city in a legislative stalemate.