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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 98 |
| 1883 | 511 |
| 1884 | 326 |
| 1885 | 566 |
| 1886 | 361 |
| 1887 | 327 |
2,189 stories
- The Proposal to Import 'Young Scotch Girls' to Seattle
A territorial official proposes a controversial plan to remedy the labor shortage by bringing hundreds of young women from Scotland to work in local households.
- The Unruly Guest at Harry Thompson's
A violent tavern dispute in 1887 Seattle turns into a police matter when the assailant returns to town, knife in hand.
- The Ghostly Discovery at Lake Union
A routine walk in the woods turns into a macabre mystery when a Seattle resident stumbles upon a shallow, suspicious grave.
- The Struggle for Space: Seattle’s Overcrowded Schools in 1887
An 1887 inspection of Seattle's public schools reveals a city straining against its rapid growth, featuring dilapidated buildings, overcrowding, and a desperate search for adequate space for its pupils.
- The Forgotten Dry Dock: Seattle's Missed Opportunity
In 1887, a committee’s failure to finalize a dry dock project drove local jobs away, forcing the city to reckon with the consequences of industrial stagnation.
- The Doctor's Carriage Scare
A Seattle school teacher's rigid adherence to hygiene protocols leads to a misunderstanding in the Nineteenth Ward.
- The Seattle Laundry Feud of 1887
A violent, years-long business rivalry between two rival laundry operators erupts in court, revealing the precarity of immigrant life and business in early Seattle.
- The Jailbreak at Chehalis
Three prisoners on the run from the Chehalis jail are recaptured by a diligent Sheriff in Seattle, ending their brief taste of liberty.
- The Unseen Cost of a Glass of Milk
A 1887 inspection of Seattle's dairy conditions reveals the grim reality of animal welfare and public health, proving that the struggle for food quality is as old as the city itself.
- The Price of Admission: A 1887 Seattle Real Estate Crisis
When the city's housing shortage became so acute that a book dealer had to buy an entire printing business just to secure a roof over his head.
- The Ghost of a Rail Land Grab
A legislative power play over a parcel of land shows that in the early days of Washington Territory, legal maneuvering was as much a part of town-building as the railroads themselves.
- The Wealth of the Nation Trapped in the Vaults
A century and a half ago, President Grover Cleveland grappled with a modern-sounding crisis: federal budget surpluses causing economic panic, skyrocketing costs for common goods, and the crushing weight of a tariff system on working families.
- The Unfulfilled Dream of a Washington Sugar Valley
A cautionary tale of failed agricultural speculation and the elusive promise of a sugar beet industry in the late 1880s.
- The Jailbreak at the Center of Town
After four prisoners escaped the local lockup, the Sheriff sounds the alarm on the failing state of the city's crumbling jail.
- The Great Ensilage Experiment of 1887
When an experimental farm in King County opened its massive silo, it sparked a neighborhood sensation that smelled like 'the mischief' but promised a revolution in Washington agriculture.
- The Hidden Passenger in the Boxcar
A railroad worker discovers a surprisingly cozy, well-stocked 'home' inside a freight car, sparking questions about the hidden lives of transients traveling across the continent.
- Seattle Sailors Defy Shipowners in 1887 Union Standoff
When the Coast Seamen's Union descended on the barkentine George Perkins to pull sailors from their posts, it sparked a tense confrontation that threatened to shut down local shipping.
- The 'Chisel' Game: How Seattle's Working Class Fought Labor Exploitation
A scathing report from 1887 reveals the corrupt 'ticket' system that allowed middlemen to siphon wages from laborers—a century-old echo of modern gig-economy wage theft.
- The Unsolved Mystery at Front and Taylor
A dock worker found unconscious and dying on a Seattle street corner leaves behind a trail of unanswered questions.
- The Riotous Destruction of a Home
When a house caught fire, neighbors and bystanders didn't just help extinguish the flames—they tore the home apart.
- The Odyssey of Two Stolen Bays
A pair of horses stolen in Klickitat County resurface in Seattle, changing hands multiple times before their original owner comes to collect.
- Tragic Dynamite Explosion Kills Three Workers
A supply of frozen dynamite, left too close to a fire to thaw, detonates at a Northern Pacific work site.
- The Price of Paving Seattle
An editorial call to stop Seattle's streets from falling into ruin.
- The Chamber of Commerce Backs the Seattle, Walla Walla and Baker City Railroad
A new report argues that the construction of a cross-state railroad is essential to securing Seattle's industrial future.
- The Iron Road Reaches West
Surveyors are racing to connect the Snake River to Puget Sound, signaling a massive shift for Seattle’s future.