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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 421 |
| 1889 | 1,084 |
| 1891 | 492 |
| 1892 | 2,259 |
| 1893 | 2,699 |
| 1894 | 2,015 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
10,800 stories
- The Phoenix of the Pacific Northwest
Following the 1889 Great Seattle Fire, citizens and local editors debate the path forward, viewing the total destruction of the business district as a necessary—if painful—opportunity for modern urban planning.
- The Great Reconstruction: Seattle Rebuilds from the Ashes
Just weeks after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, hundreds of laborers mobilize to clear debris and reconstruct the city’s vital infrastructure.
- The Morning After the Fire: Spokane Wakes Up in Tents and Vows to Rebuild
A day after the great conflagration swept the city, Spokane's banks reopen, merchants trade under canvas, and outside capital pours in — even as thousands who were prosperous on Sunday night are left homeless.
- The Battle for the Seattle Waterfront
As the Washington State Constitutional Convention nears its conclusion, delegates engage in a fierce final debate over the ownership of tide lands and the rights of the state versus private corporations.
- The Last Midnight of the Washington Constitutional Convention
After fifty days of grueling debate and back-room maneuvering, delegates in Olympia finally finish the document that would define the state’s future.
- The Birth of Washington State: 1889 Constitution Draft
A rare look at the foundational text that set the rules for labor, public education, and state governance upon Washington’s entry into the Union.
- The Burning of Oakville
A deliberate act of arson leveled the Grays Harbor town of Oakville, sparking rumors of a wider conspiracy against the mill district.
- The Navy Eyes the Sound
Federal commissioners officially name Port Orchard as the superior site for a major naval base in the Pacific Northwest.
- Rising from the Embers: Ellensburg's Rapid Rebirth
After a devastating fire consumed the heart of the city in July 1889, the community transformed from a charred wasteland into a brick-fronted city in just two months.
- The Lynching of an Innocent Youth in Conconully
An Okanogan boy was snatched from legal custody and murdered by a mob, despite having been granted bail by a court commissioner.
- Puget Sound Secures the New Navy Yard
Washington State beats Oregon in Senate lobbying, winning the site for the Pacific naval station.
- Puyallup Land Sale Proposal Stirs Tacoma Speculators
As Tacoma developers salivated over tribal lands, a prominent Puyallup leader took his case to Washington D.C. to navigate the complex, often predatory, future of his people's property.
- The City That Voted to Grow: Seattle's 1892 Infrastructure Bond Bonanza
In a massive, city-wide referendum, Seattle residents went to the polls in March 1892 to approve a sweeping expansion of water, sewer, and municipal works that literally laid the foundation for the modern city.
- The Roslyn Mine Disaster
A devastating gas explosion in Northern Pacific Coal Company's Mine No. 2 leaves dozens of families in mourning as the town of Roslyn turns its city hall into a temporary morgue.
- The Roslyn Mine Disaster: A City Rallies for the Bereaved
When an explosion ripped through the Roslyn coal mines in May 1892, Seattle’s civic leaders mobilized an immediate relief effort for the families left behind.
- The 'Ticket-of-Leave' Law: A New Era of Exclusion
New federal legislation mandates that Chinese laborers must register and carry certificates to remain in the country, a move critics denounce as treaty-breaking.
- The Great Northern Railway Arrives in Spokane
After years of construction, the final spike connects Spokane to the Great Northern line, linking the city to the East.
- Railroad Chief Urges Shared Yards to Protect Seattle Waterfront
Railroad tycoon James J. Hill takes the stage at City Hall to warn Seattle against repeating Chicago’s development mistakes.
- Senate Schedules Puyallup Reservation Bill for Debate
Senator Allen secures a special order to debate the bill concerning the Puyallup Indian Reservation.
- The Passing of Seattle's Founder
Henry L. Yesler, the man who built the city's first steam sawmill and staked the claim that defined early Seattle, dies at 81.
- Washington State Bans Private Mercenary Guards
New legislation makes it a serious crime for companies to employ private detective agencies like the Pinkertons to suppress strikes or intimidate employees.
- The Right to Offset Benefits in Land Seizures
A landmark Washington Supreme Court decision settles a heated dispute over whether the city can lower compensation for seized land by claiming the public improvement adds value to the owner's remaining property.
- Olympia’s Capitol Fight: Donate the Land or Lose the Statehouse
A late-night Senate debate over the new state capitol turned on eleven acres, a $150,000 land scheme and whether Olympia should pay to keep the building—before the bill passed to applause.
- The Bold Plan to Build the Lake Washington Canal
Facing gridlock in Congress, Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce pushed a local bill to authorize the county to construct the canal itself, aiming to transform the city into the 'first city on the Pacific coast.'
- Garfield County Town Devastated by Early Morning Blaze
A suspected act of arson leveled the business district of Pataha City, leaving residents to flee for their lives as a fierce wind carried the flames.