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1. A Surprise Wedding at the Knights of Pythias Hall

   A Seattle policeman elopes in Tacoma, interrupting a lodge meeting with a sudden matrimonial ceremony.

   May 20, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyScandal

2. A Heartbreaking Loss on the Diamond

   In a tense and expertly played game, Seattle edges out Tacoma 4–3 as a 'subtle fatality' continues to plague the Tacoma club.

   May 22, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyNightlife

3. A Royal Reception for Seattle's Foresters in Tacoma

   Members of the Ancient Order of Foresters take a steamer to Tacoma for an evening of music, speeches, and hospitality.

   Jun 26, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce County

4. The Tragic End of 'Wienerwurst Charlie'

   A young immigrant street vendor in Tacoma takes his own life, leaving behind little but a nickname and a grieving brother.

   Aug 10, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce County

5. An Evening of Song in Tacoma

   The eleventh annual concert of the Tacoma Choral Society reaches a grand climax with a performance of Barnby's 'Rebekah.'

   Jun 18, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFirst Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Pierce County

6. Tacoma Police Ordered Out of Saloons

   New orders from the Chief of Police strictly prohibit patrolmen from drinking on the job or entering saloons unless officially required.

   Jun 28, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

7. The Miracle Toad of Tacoma

   A small toad discovered buried beneath seventeen feet of hardpan sparks curiosity and scientific wonder.

   Oct 23, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

8. The Anti-Catholic Lecturer Who Skipped Town

   A visiting lecturer left Tacoma without paying his hall rent, highlighting the messy intersection of political agitation and private debt.

   Mar 31, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

9. A Dental Marvel in Tacoma

   A ten-day-old infant is the talk of the town for being born with three teeth, leaving its parents and the public fascinated.

   Jun 8, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

10. The Passing of a Pioneer Parson

    Rev. A. S. Nicholson, an early missionary who built up Episcopal parishes across Western Washington, dies at his home near Hillhurst.

    Jun 1, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerHillhurst, Tacoma, Pierce County

11. The Seventeenth-Foot Toad

    Workers digging a cistern in Tacoma discover a living toad buried seventeen feet deep in hardpan.

    Aug 5, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

12. Blaze at the National Bank of Commerce

    A kitchen fire at the Commercial Club leaves the building soaked and damaged.

    Jan 4, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

13. Cotton, Flour and Rumors of Rifles: Tacoma's Steamer Sails Into the Sino-Japanese War

    As Japan presses for Manchuria, Tacoma's Japanese community shares news from home while a Northern Pacific freighter swaps flour for Boston cotton—prompting speculation about hidden munitions.

    Aug 22, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce County

14. A Chicago Syndicate Wants a Refrigerator-Car Factory — and It Wants the Land for Free

    A Chicago car builder tours Tacoma and Seattle touting a plant that could turn out up to sixty refrigerator cars a day, weighing Puget Sound lumber against Eastern iron — and letting it be known the syndicate is open to "propositions for donated sites."

    Aug 31, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

15. The 1721 Architectural Manual Preserved in Tacoma

    A rare volume of Palladio’s architectural rules, inherited by a Tacoma resident, offers a window into 17th-century construction methods.

    Nov 15, 1892The Seattle Post-Intelligencer1109 North J Street, Tacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

16. The Salvation Army's 'Hallelujah Wedding'

    Salvation Army officers from across the region gathered in Tacoma for a rare, festive union, highlighting the communal bonds and strict internal rules of the faith in 1888.

    Aug 1, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

17. The Great Tacoma Brick Boom: A City Building Itself Into the Future

    As ten new brick structures rise on Water Street and real estate auctions fetch record prices, Tacoma’s leaders are betting big on a booming future—despite labor shortages and material scarcity.

    Jan 8, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWater Street, Tacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

18. The New Law That Broke the Bankers: How Tacoma’s Debtors Turned the Tables on Northern Pacific

    A recent amendment to territorial attachment laws has forced high-ranking executives of the Northern Pacific Railway to appear in court personally, sparking panic among creditors who can no longer hide behind corporate shields.

    May 30, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

19. The Tacoma Land Boom

    A glimpse into the feverish property speculation of the 1888 Washington Territory and the intense competition to develop the city's future.

    Sep 6, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

20. The Gambler Who Outsmarted the City Hall

    In Tacoma, a local sharp named Morgan has become so powerful that citizens are joking he holds more sway than the elected officials.

    Feb 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

21. The Man Who Paid to Live: A Tacoma Resident’s Plea for Relief

    In an era of unchecked capitalism and political corruption, one man in Tacoma offers a stark, personal testament to the crushing weight of poverty—proving that even in the 'Land of Opportunity,' survival is not guaranteed.

    Jun 17, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountySnake Oil

22. The Unsinkable Cigar Barges of the Sound

    Innovation in the Washington coal trade: will unique, cigar-shaped steel barges soon conquer the rough waters of the Pacific?

    Feb 25, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

23. The Political Wedding of the Season

    A look back at the high-society union of a Tacoma banker and the daughter of a Chief Justice, which captivated 1891 Seattle.

    Jan 4, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce County

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