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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 98 |
| 1883 | 511 |
| 1884 | 326 |
| 1885 | 566 |
| 1886 | 361 |
| 1887 | 327 |
2,189 stories
- Runaway Carriage Strikes Pedestrians
A young brother and sister are injured after being struck by a runaway horse and buggy on Columbia Street.
- The Territory That Demanded Its Right to Grow
When Washington was treated like a 'rotten borough' in Washington D.C., the local press fired back to prove the territory was ready for statehood.
- The Trial of Dr. Jack
An elderly Indigenous man is sentenced to three years of hard labor in a case that drew crowds of grieving community members to the courthouse.
- The Last Stand at the Rail Bridge
When a bridge collapses into a remote ravine, a young train worker stages a desperate, days-long defense against a hostile raiding party to protect his dying comrade.
- The Sudden Collapse of the Farmers' Bank
Seattle's financial community was left in shock as a major institution shuttered its doors, leaving depositors and creditors in the lurch.
- The Midnight Blaze That Leveled Seattle’s Largest Sawmill
A devastating fire at the Stetson & Post mill in 1885 left 40 men unemployed and destroyed a vital industrial hub, all while a night watchman pointed fingers at a scapegoated worker.
- The Great April Snowstorm of 1885
A record-breaking blizzard buries Seattle, collapsing roofs across the territory and disrupting the spring thaw.
- The Seattle Grist Mill Tragedy
A boiler explosion in the heart of Seattle claims the lives of three workers, leaving the community reeling.
- The Last Bridge Isn't Crossed Yet
A Seattle prisoner reacts to a five-year sentence with a defiant promise to keep fighting, despite the jury's unanimous verdict.
- Corruption at the Naval Department
A scathing report exposes rampant incompetence, fraud, and systematic disorganization within the Naval Department, leaving public service in tatters.
- The Christmas Eve Brawl at the French Woman’s Saloon
A holiday celebration in Seattle ends in a violent saloon assault, leaving a mill worker clinging to life.
- The Failed Promise of Seattle’s Police
A critical editorial reflects on the incompetence of the local force during times of unrest and the corrupting influence of political patronage.
- The New Charter for a Growing Seattle
Newly enacted territorial legislation reshapes the city's government, ward boundaries, and municipal authority.
- The Argument for Statehood: Washington's Manifest Destiny
An impassioned appeal for Washington Territory's admission to the Union, highlighting its timber, agriculture, and shipbuilding potential as proof of its readiness to become a state.
- The Settler's Plight: Caught in the Crosshairs of Territorial Law
While Washington settlers face prosecution for working their land, Congress remains fixated on minor bureaucratic slights, ignoring the plight of the territories.
- The Great Railway Truce of 1886
A high-stakes standoff between the Knights of Labor and the Northern Pacific Railroad reaches a tentative peace in Seattle.
- Committee Upholds Northern Pacific Railroad Land Grant
A government committee weighs in on whether the Northern Pacific Railroad forfeited its massive land grant by failing to meet construction deadlines.
- The Shadow Over the Maxwell Trial
A grizzly discovery in a Seattle warehouse forces a local businessman to defend himself against a charge of murder.
- The Great Land Grab: Congress’s Failure to Hold the Northern Pacific Accountable
A scathing editorial from 1886 demands legislative accountability as Congress fails to reclaim land granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Struggle for the Ballot
A political critique on the influence of Charles M. Bradshaw in securing women's suffrage.
- Winter at the Packing-House Picket Line
As Seattle's labor landscape shifts in 1887, meat-packers face a grueling struggle against both their employers and the encroaching winter chill.
- The Sheriff Who Stopped a 'Socialist' Wedding
When the radical labor agitator August Spies and his bride attempted to marry while Spies was in custody, a Seattle-area official intervened to prevent the 'empty formality' from taking place.
- The Forgotten Map: When North Idaho Was Seattle’s Neighbor
For years, North Idaho residents pushed to break away from their own state and join Washington Territory, citing geographic reality and political isolation.
- The Final Voyage of the St. Stephen
Tragedy strikes the Pacific Northwest as a beloved vessel goes missing in a violent storm, leaving a city in mourning.
- The Weight of Reasonable Doubt in Early Seattle
A century and a half ago, a Washington judge meticulously laid out the standard of proof for a murder trial, reminding the jury that a man’s life hung not on suspicion, but on evidence.