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1. The Contract Prison of the Skookum Chuck

   A look inside the privatized territorial penitentiary of 1879, where convict labor was auctioned off to pay for a sheriff's enterprise.

   Mar 22, 1879The Northern StarBucoda, Thurston CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

2. Smallpox Scare at Port Townsend

   Rumors of a smallpox outbreak on Puget Sound trigger public panic, but health officials scramble to reassure the community.

   Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

3. The Brooklyn Plague: A Satirical Warning Against the 'Fanaticism' of Moody and Sankey

   A local correspondent in Snohomish mocks the recent evangelistic crusade of Rev. D.L. Moody and singer R.A. Sankey, comparing their emotional preaching to a contagious disease and jokingly inviting missionaries to relocate to Washington Territory.

   Feb 19, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

4. The Great Snohomish Desertion: A Husband Left Penniless by His Wife’s Flight

   In a scandal that gripped the small river town in early 1877, a man returned from a logging trip to find his wife had vanished with their cash, leaving him stranded and destitute.

   Jan 20, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

5. The Loggers Who Built a Town: How an Indian Settlement Thrived on the Banks of Port Discovery

   While Snohomish debated its own agricultural future, a thriving community of Indigenous farmers and loggers was quietly building a prosperous life in Dungeness, complete with schools, hotels, and dairy herds.

   Apr 28, 1877The Northern StarSequim, Clallam CountyBoom & Bust

6. The Great Cascade: A Pilgrimage to the Roar of Snoqualmie Falls

   In July 1877, three travelers walked the rugged trail from Snohomish to Fall City, documenting the lush farms, the hospitality of settlers, and the awe-inspiring power of the falls—a testament to the beauty and isolation of early Washington Territory.

   Jul 21, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

7. The Boomtown Frontier: A Traveler's Account of New Tacoma and the Puyallup Valley

   As the Northern Pacific Railroad carves its path into the frontier, a correspondent journeys from Snohomish to witness the rapid, chaotic, and industrious birth of New Tacoma and the hop-heavy Puyallup Valley.

   Sep 29, 1877The Northern StarTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

8. The Whitewashing of Snohomish: A Town’s Cosmetic Makeover

   In a display of civic vanity and political maneuvering, local officials have undertaken an elaborate 'whitewashing' of the town, leaving residents to wonder if the fresh coat of paint hides more than just grime.

   May 27, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyExclusion & Resistance

9. The Tragedy at Tenino: A Mother’s Search for Her Child in the Flames

   When a fire destroyed the home of Stephen Hogden and his boarder B.W. Ward on February 15, 1877, most escaped—but nine-year-old Nellie Ward was lost to the inferno.

   Feb 24, 1877The Northern StarYelm, Thurston CountyDisasters

10. The First White Woman of the Skykomish

    In the rugged valley north of Snohomish, pioneer settler Mrs. Furtun stands as a solitary female figure in a male-dominated frontier, marking the slow, steady growth of a region destined to become a timber and mining hub.

    Mar 11, 1876The Northern StarSkykomish, King CountyBoom & Bust

11. The Great Snohomish Church Hunt: Why Our Clergy Keep Fleeing

    A local editorial lambasts the community's inability to retain a minister, blaming itinerant preachers for their incompetence and demanding a permanent, educated clergyman who will actually work rather than just preach.

    Apr 1, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

12. The Long Walk Home: A Traveler’s Ordeal on the Skagit River

    In April 1876, a visitor to Snohomish County recounts a grueling journey through mud, tides, and broken steamers, highlighting the isolation of early Washington settlements.

    Apr 8, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

13. The Lightning Rod Swindler Who Targeted the Courthouse

    A traveling salesman tries to sell protection to a jury foreman, only to discover he’s been pitching his wares to the wrong building.

    Apr 29, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish County Courthouse, SnohomishSnake Oil

14. The Snohomish River's 'Miasma of Decay'

    An 1876 editorial decries the hazardous state of the river banks, warning that stagnant water and rotting sawdust are breeding sickness in the growing town.

    May 27, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

15. The Seattle Fire That Almost Burned the Town

    An incendiary blaze at the old Coffee and Elbow Saloon nearly consumed downtown Seattle in a narrow escape that left hundreds of men standing by with buckets.

    Jun 3, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyDisasters

16. The Tragedy of the Skykomish Logger: A Life Cut Short by a Single Log

    In the dangerous world of early 20th-century logging, James Magher’s fatal accident serves as a grim reminder of the perilous conditions faced by workers in Snohomish County's timber camps.

    Jun 3, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

17. The Temple of Thought: Snohomish Builds Its Own Athenaeum

    A visiting orator declares the new Snohomish Athenaeum a 'temple of science, literature, and art,' rising from the wilderness to preserve the intellectual legacy of the Pacific Northwest.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyGone Forever

18. The Jam That Stalled a Territory: How Local Men Tried to Clear the Skagit River

    In 1876, Snohomish residents rallied to fund the removal of massive log jams blocking the Skagit River, arguing that clearing the waterway was essential for settling the vast timber-rich lands of Washington Territory.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

19. The Night of the Knives: Snohomish Councilman and Printer Attacked in Coordinated Assault

    Two men were ambushed on Third Street within hours of each other; one beaten with an iron bar, the other held at knifepoint. The paper warns that 'a general preparation for self-defense' may soon be necessary.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

20. The Timber Tax Trap: How Snohomish County’s Wealth Was Slipping Away

    A local writer warns that mill companies are exploiting a flawed $2.50-per-acre tax assessment to monopolize land, leaving the county with debt and no court house while small loggers go bust.

    Jun 10, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

21. The Great Snohomish Church Fight: Who Owns the Soul of the County?

    A Presbyterian minister arrives in Snohomish to find a fractured community. With two rival congregations already formed and the Probate Judge playing both sides, can outside help unite the town—or just deepen the divide?

    Jun 24, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

22. A Community Keeps a Job Open for an Injured Neighbor

    When an auditor was sidelined by severe physical injuries, the community and competing candidates moved to ensure he could still earn a living through the office fees.

    Sep 2, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

23. The Snohomish 'War Path'

    A rowdy night at the Snohomish riverfront ends in a knife fight between a local drunk and the city marshal.

    Sep 16, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyExclusion & Resistance · True Crime

24. A Panther Encounter on the River Road

    Two locals survived a tense, face-to-face standoff with a wild cat between the Snohomish and Skykomish rivers.

    Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

25. The Brawling Reformers of Snohomish

    A satirical account of a local political meeting that devolved from religious indignation into a drunken saloon brawl.

    Nov 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

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