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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 37 |
| 1884 | 22 |
| 1885 | 30 |
| 1886 | 16 |
| 1887 | 59 |
167 stories
- The Mystery of the Vanished Prospectors
A trio of woodsmen, including a local favorite nicknamed 'Navy Jack,' set sail into the treacherous waters north of Seattle and have not been seen in eleven weeks.
- The Peril of the Company Town
An 1887 editorial warns that Tacoma’s prosperity is built on a dangerous, fragile foundation: the sole favor of a single corporation.
- The Printer and the Preacher: A Life Between Worlds
Rev. Peter C. Stanup, a Puyallup tribal member, reflects on his journey from the reservation school to the pulpit and the printing press.
- The Great Baptist Church Lockout
When an internal church feud in 1887 led to gas being turned off, keys being withheld, and a locksmith called to secure the pulpit against the congregation's dissenters.
- The Unlucky Stable in the Middle of the Street
A railroad land agent inadvertently builds a brand-new, modern stable smack in the middle of a planned Tacoma thoroughfare.
- A Heated Clash at City Hall
A contractor and a former mayor trade sharp words before the Tacoma City Council over stalled infrastructure payments.
- The Street Contractor’s Gamble
When the city of Tacoma failed to pay up on street improvements, a contractor was left holding the bag—and a pocket full of worthless paper.
- The Unpaid Streets of Tacoma
A bitter legal battle reveals the messy, unpaved reality of infrastructure development in late 19th-century Tacoma, pitting laborers against local developers.
- Tragedy at the Farm: A Young Life Lost to Gunfire
A tragic accident near Tacoma claims the life of a young man, sparking a solemn reminder of firearm safety in the rural landscape of the 1880s.
- The Fight for the Ballot at the Tacoma Courthouse
In 1887, two suffragists took to the streets to demand the restoration of voting rights for women in Washington Territory.
- The Perilous Trip of the Rowboat Runaways
Two young women, undeterred by the dark waters of Tacoma's bay, defied the night to row across the sound, sparking a local search and a breathless newspaper account.
- The Hotel Dispute That Stalled Pacific Avenue
A legal tug-of-war over a mortgage on the Mount Nichols Hotel forces a courtroom showdown.
- The Hotel del Monte of the Northwest
Tacoma Land Company plans a massive, luxury seaside hotel to rival California's best.
- The Failed Heist at Shaw’s Boarding House
An audacious attempt to rob a Tacoma mill worker's boarding house ends in a series of slapstick mishaps and a gunshot.
- The Tragedy of a Duck Hunt on Cedar Creek
A young man loses his arm after a shotgun accident during a hunting trip, prompting an urgent rescue effort.
- Tacoma’s Railroad Thralldom
A neighboring city struggles under the shadow of the Northern Pacific Railroad's monopoly and the local 'aristocracy' that supports it.
- A Near-Fatal Robbery Attempt in Tacoma
Dr. F. C. Miller narrowly escapes a highwayman's bullet while riding near the slaughterhouse.
- A Distraught Mother’s Unfounded Claims
After previously accusing others of harboring her runaway daughters, a woman attempts to involve the Tacoma police in a new delusion.
- A $1,000 Lot Sells for $16,000 as Tacoma Booms
A bank building and lot on Pacific Avenue fetches a record price, a sign of the speculative frenzy sweeping the new city.
- The Great Tacoma Potato Fiasco
When a local farmer tried to break into the Tacoma market with a wagonload of produce, he found that the city’s much-vaunted commercial prosperity was, quite literally, not worth a hill of beans—or potatoes.
- Brutal Bare-Knuckle Prize Fight Ends in Foul
A local pugilist match on Pennsylvania Avenue ends in controversy after a fighter strikes his opponent while he is down.
- The Struggle Over Mount Rainier
A traveler in 1885 recounts a journey from Portland to Seattle, noting the locals' intense and 'desperate' campaign to rename the iconic peak dominating the Tacoma skyline.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Plans Tacoma's Expansion
Railroad executives visit to strategize the massive redevelopment of Tacoma's waterfront and terminal infrastructure.
- The Maritime Runaways of Puget Sound
A survey of seafaring history where captains would 'elope' with their own ships to evade the law, including recent incidents in Tacoma.
- The Neighborhood Feud that Sparked a Arson Investigation
A bitter territorial dispute between two Tacoma neighbors reveals a pattern of property destruction, spite fences, and suspected arson, highlighting the volatile nature of frontier land conflicts.