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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 6 |
| 1876 | 52 |
| 1877 | 34 |
| 1878 | 30 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 10 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 26 |
| 1885 | 41 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 35 |
| 1888 | 62 |
| 1889 | 101 |
| 1890 | 16 |
| 1891 | 66 |
| 1892 | 116 |
| 1893 | 88 |
| 1894 | 70 |
| 1895 | 113 |
| 1897 | 6 |
| 1898 | 13 |
| 1899 | 30 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 66 |
| 1904 | 20 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1907 | 3 |
| 1908 | 27 |
| 1909 | 61 |
| 1910 | 11 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 18 |
| 1915 | 20 |
| 1916 | 43 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 20 |
| 1924 | 10 |
| 1925 | 11 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
1,304 stories matching develop
- The Clairvoyant of the Bee Hive
A self-proclaimed prophetess operating out of the Bee Hive lodging house in Walla Walla claims to be drawing large crowds.
- A Gasser, a Picnic, and a Promise: Kennewick Bets on Oil and Gas
Drillers pause to case off 400 feet of water, 85 people picnic at the well, and a Yakima promoter promises a franchise — and maybe oil — by summer.
- The Boom on the Sound
A look at the rapid industrial and commercial expansion of Port Townsend in 1888.
- The Real Estate Boom at Salmon Bay
A speculative land development promises a suburban future in Seattle’s north side, betting on railroad connectivity.
- The Battle for the Rails: Monopoly vs. The Public Good
A scathing editorial from 1885 outlines the clash between the Union Pacific’s 'business-first' model and the Northern Pacific's alleged strategy of political bribery and town-site speculation.
- The Great Seattle Housing Boom of 1890
A staggering list of hundreds of building permits filed on the final day of 1890 reveals the rapid, frantic expansion of a city rebuilding itself from the ashes of the Great Fire.
- The Unpaved Dispute: A Seattle Street Fight
When the City Council attempted to force through street improvements against the wishes of local property owners, the resulting legal struggle highlighted the friction between civic development and individual land rights in 1887.
- The Fight for the Parker Precinct Bridge
Settlers appeal to county commissioners for a bridge across the Yakima River to unlock agricultural growth.
- The Fifty-Thousand Dollar Blueprint for the Future
Engineers wrap up a massive, privately-funded survey for the Priest Rapids Highlands Project, fueling hopes for rapid irrigation development.
- The Snow That Stole the Gold: Snohomish County’s Mining Boom Hits a Wall
Arthur Hank, a prominent local investor, returns from Snohomish County with news of rich ore deposits—but warns that an unprecedented winter is halting development just as the region stands on the brink of becoming a major mining center.
- The Promised Industrial Metropolis
A massive 100-million-dollar hydroelectric and industrial project proposed for the Columbia River promises to transform the region into a global manufacturing hub.
- The Price of Growth: How Seattle’s Economy Faced the Boom and Bust of 1877
A look back at the financial anxieties and rapid development of 1877 Seattle, as the young city navigated the transition from frontier town to an emerging regional market.
- The Roller Rink Craze of 1872
Before the city's modern obsession with wellness, local promoters banked on a new indoor exercise to save Seattle’s youth from 'pernicious influences and vile haunts.'
- James J. Hill’s Pacific Ambitions
The Great Northern Railroad president reveals a bold plan to dominate the Pacific lumber market and establish high-speed steamship links to Asia.
- The Rare Earth That Could Take On the Powder Trust
A deposit near Blue Creek is promoted as a safer, cheaper ingredient for blasting powder—and as a way to loosen DuPont’s grip on the explosives trade.
- The Rules of the Game: How Seattle's First Lawyers Codified the Fight for Land
When the Washington Territorial legislature overhauled the rules of civil procedure, they essentially wrote the blueprint for how Seattle’s developers and land speculators would battle over the city’s footprint for decades to come.
- The Fight to Protect Seattle’s Tap Water
A century ago, city engineers were already sounding the alarm about protecting the Cedar River watershed from industrial development and pollution to ensure a clean supply for a growing city.
- The Balloon-Powered Park Plan
A satirical interview with a Seattle developer reveals the absurd lengths civic boosters would go to inflate the value of local land.
- The Manufactured Boom of Medina
A speculative land development near Lake McMurray, Skagit County, uses a new railroad and promised natural resources to lure investors to a 'crescent' townsite.
- A Frontier Home on Second Street
In the winter of 1876, a simple advertisement captures the rapid development and domestic churn of a burgeoning Seattle.
- The Hop Fever Gripping Puyallup
As hop vines hit 21 inches in the fertile valley, a local developer and hop baron makes big moves to capitalize on the boom.
- The Tieton Gold Rush
Seattle mining experts claim they have found a fortune in gold-bearing rock in the Tieton drainage.
- The Empire Builder’s Pacific Dream
Railroad tycoon James J. Hill argues that the future of Northwest agriculture depends not on Europe, but on aggressively securing trade routes to China.
- The Pioneers of Whidbey Island Orchards
A look at the early fruit industry in Island County and the lessons learned by the region's first orchardists.
- The Timber Monopoly Holding Everett Hostage
A fiery editorial calls out the Puget Mill Company for hoarding vast tracts of land and artificially inflating timber prices while ignoring the welfare of the local community.