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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 4 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 31 |
| 1893 | 32 |
| 1894 | 21 |
| 1895 | 10 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 8 |
| 1904 | 17 |
| 1909 | 9 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
223 stories matching trigger
- The New Year’s Day Land Rush: Rainier Avenue Electric Line Opens
On January 1, 1891, the opening of the new Rainier Avenue Electric line triggered a speculative scramble for suburban land around Lake Washington.
- The Great Tacoma Auto Heist
A mechanic attempts a high-speed repossession of a Winton touring car, triggering a cross-city chase between Tacoma and Seattle.
- The Expensive Cipher Mistake That Rocked Colfax
A bungled telegram message causes a small-town grain buyer to accidentally trigger a massive payout to local farmers.
- The Courthouse That Couldn’t: Contractors Fall Months Behind as Penalties Mount
Thurston County’s new courthouse is five months late, triggering a $20-a-day penalty and a standoff over withheld payments.
- Dynamite Plot Found on Puget Sound Collier
A meticulously rigged infernal machine, timed to trigger via a rat trap and revolver, was discovered in the hold of the steamer Bawnmore.
- Smallpox Scare at Port Townsend
Rumors of a smallpox outbreak on Puget Sound trigger public panic, but health officials scramble to reassure the community.
- Bears on Driftwood and Bridge Washouts in the Skykomish River
Heavy rains trigger a freshet in the mountains, leading to washed-out bridges and one very calm bear navigating the rapids on a log.
- The Global Reach of Local Butchers
High tariffs and strict inspection laws in Germany trigger a sharp decline in American meat exports, forcing local butchers to lobby for policy change.
- The $100,000 Tugboat Dispute
A steamship's distress call near Port Townsend has triggered a massive legal battle over salvage rights and the true peril of the Pacific.
- The Midnight Saloon Standoff
Yakima city officials move to enforce a midnight closing time for local taverns, triggering immediate defiance from saloon owners.
- Tragedy in the Rabbit Woods
A quiet hunting excursion near Fairfax ends in a lethal accident for a local man, leaving his friend in despair.
- The Snohomish Lawyer’s Swindle
A lawyer absconds after forging his client's signature, triggering a bizarre legal fight over debt and stolen notes.
- The Episcopal Debt Scandal in Colfax
A creditor, failing to collect a debt from a church congregation in Pullman, seized the rival building in Colfax, triggering a local legal battle.
- The Farmer and the One-Dollar Fee
A Stanwood farmer’s struggle to sell his own harvest in Seattle triggers an impromptu protest against city bureaucracy.
- The Great Cascade Washout of 1892
A Chinook wind and torrential rain trigger massive landslides and bridge collapses, paralyzing rail travel across Washington.
- City Hall Under Siege for Corruption
Calls for the impeachment of two public works commissioners trigger fears of a city hall whitewash.
- The Political Gamble of John Collins
A Seattle power broker triggers a local storm by secretly vying for a plum federal consulship in Japan.
- Butcher Skips Town Leaving Debts Behind
A local butcher flees Shelton, triggering a scramble among creditors for his remaining cattle and assets.
- Seattle Rebuilds After the 1889 Great Fire
A catastrophic blaze levels the city’s business district, triggering a massive relief effort and ushering in new urban planning.
- Exposing the Opium Dens of Opera Alley
A local expose reveals that teenage messenger boys are being drawn into the city's opium dens and disreputable houses, triggering a promised police crackdown.
- Drunken Assailant Attempts Point-Blank Shooting on Pacific Avenue
An intoxicated man confronted an employee of the Richmond Paper Company, but the victim managed to deflect the weapon during the struggle.
- The Saloon Turf War: Seattle's 1891 Zoning Scandal
A surprise move by the Board of Aldermen to eliminate limits on where liquor could be sold triggers a fierce public outcry against perceived civic corruption.
- The Railroad’s Timber Heist
A federal investigation reveals that the Northern Pacific Railroad conspired with contractors to clear-cut and steal timber from public lands, triggering a major legal showdown in Yakima.
- Runaway Interurban Car Terrifies Passengers
A defective switch at Puyallup Avenue triggers a near-disaster as a transit car breaks away from its train.
- The Bigamy Suit in Green River
A farmer is sued by his first wife after he moves West, remarries, and establishes a new family, triggering a complex property dispute in superior court.