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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 39 |
| 1877 | 19 |
| 1878 | 16 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 7 |
| 1882 | 7 |
| 1883 | 47 |
| 1884 | 34 |
| 1885 | 22 |
| 1886 | 15 |
| 1887 | 24 |
| 1888 | 23 |
| 1889 | 38 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 56 |
| 1892 | 118 |
| 1893 | 132 |
| 1894 | 96 |
| 1895 | 158 |
| 1897 | 5 |
| 1898 | 9 |
| 1899 | 32 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1902 | 3 |
| 1903 | 64 |
| 1904 | 42 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 27 |
| 1909 | 77 |
| 1910 | 13 |
| 1911 | 6 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 13 |
| 1915 | 16 |
| 1916 | 20 |
| 1917 | 20 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 5 |
| 1925 | 3 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
1,256 stories matching contract
- Spokane Victory for Day Labor
A permanent injunction halts a private contract, forcing the city to hire workers directly.
- Surveyor Graft in the Backwoods
Federal deputy surveyors are accused of shaking down Washington Territory settlers for surveying fees already covered by government contracts.
- The Contract War for Seattle’s Baseball Manager
A power struggle in the minor leagues pits Seattle's local boosters against the board of control over the fate of Abner Powell.
- A Broken-Down Mailboat Left Clallam County Cut Off
For months, the steamer on the Neah Bay route ran late, broke down, and at least once used a craft known to be unsafe. The Post-Intelligencer wanted the contract revoked.
- A Costly Palace for the Poor?
Walla Walla County commissioners face criticism over a proposal to replace the contract system with a twelve-thousand-dollar brick building.
- A Courtroom Brawl Over a Mining Fortune
John R. Wolcott loses his bid to control the Persinger group of mines in Kittitas County after a contract dispute, and his attorney nearly comes to blows with opposing counsel.
- Doctors Clash at the Capitol Over Medical Practice Regulations
Legislative battle brewing as 'regular' medical associations face scrutiny over anti-competition rules against lodge-contracted doctors.
- The Logging Technicality
A man caught cutting timber on government land walks free after a dispute over his Northern Pacific contract.
- Longshoremen Wage War on 'Alien' Crew
A ship captain was arrested in Tacoma for allowing his foreign crew to load lumber, sparking a battle over labor rights and local wages.
- The Fight for Public Oversight in Oroville
As the growing town prepares to hand out long-term public service contracts, the Gazette warns citizens to demand a vote on monopolies that could bind the community for a generation.
- The Railroads Wanted a Senator, and They Worked Olympia to Get Him
A Republican paper accuses John L. Wilson of backing a railroad-friendly bill while transcontinental lines quietly lobby the legislature to send him to the U.S. Senate — and Tacoma's A.P.A. splits over the fight.
- 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 Fight for 'Japanese Jennie'
A Spokane court battles a Montana requisition order for a woman held under a restrictive labor contract, marking a local test of indentured servitude.
- The Iron Road Comes to the Sound
With the first section of the Seattle and Walla Walla railroad under heavy construction, the city braces for a transformation that promises to connect the waterfront to the mountains.
- The Hanford Water Wars
A federal court ruling protects local ranchers from mortgage holders in the complex bankruptcy of the Hanford Irrigation Power Company.
- The Seattle Sewer Brick Scandal
A political investigation into allegations that the City of Seattle paid inflated prices for materials used in municipal sewer construction.
- City Attorney Blocks Olympia’s Columbia Street Assessment
A legal opinion found that street grading and planking done without contracts could not be charged to abutting owners beyond $500—putting more than $2,000 in assessments in doubt.
- Infrastructure Boom in Lincoln County
New concrete and steel bridge contracts across Lincoln County signal a regional investment in transit and commerce.
- The Roslyn Coal Miners Defy Wage Cuts
Miners at the Northern Pacific Coal Company reject a new contract, demanding a fair wage as the specter of the 1888 strike looms over the camp.
- A New Landmark for Walla Walla
The Knights of Pythias award a $14,000 contract for a new brick and iron headquarters, promising a new hub for local social life.
- The Music-Hall Queen and Her Contract Husband
A Port Townsend performer known as "Shiner" says she will sue Frederick Macondray for divorce, brandishing love letters signed "My Dear Little Kid" and a marriage contract struck on Puget Sound.
- Ballard Fights the Tide Land Fill
The Ballard City Council moves to block a private contract to fill in Salmon Bay, fearing it will ruin the harbor and burden local commerce.
- Bribery Allegations Rock the Fire Commission
A city fire commissioner reveals he was offered a $300 bribe to influence a lucrative hose contract, as rival companies trade accusations of fraud.
- The City vs. The Citizens: A Sewer Standoff
Property owners refuse to pay for city improvements they claim were botched, poorly contracted, and overpriced.
- Seattle's Milk Supply Caught in a Secret Trust
A quiet combination of milk dealers and a new condensed milk company threatens to control prices, squeeze out independents, and lock Skagit farmers into low-paying contracts.