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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 799 |
| 1884 | 455 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
3,198 stories
- An Ambassador for the Northwest: Judge Lewis Returns from the East
A Seattle judge’s 1885 journey reveals a Pacific Northwest eager to prove itself to the skeptical East, complete with butter-churning Quakers and coal-scam lawsuits.
- Mining, Military Drills, and a Skunk's Demise in Black Diamond
An 1885 dispatch from the Black Diamond coal fields details civic improvements, the formation of a local militia company, and a comical, if ill-fated, experiment involving a captive skunk.
- The Hop Pickers' Labor Pipeline
Business leaders in 1885 Seattle formalize the recruitment of Chinese labor to fuel Washington's booming hop harvest.
- The High-Fence Strategy Against 'Vagabonds'
In an attempt to deter 'traveling vagabonds' from loitering in Seattle's waterfront district, the city's rail companies have erected a 16-foot-high barricade.
- City Council Denies Chinese Community's Request for Firecrackers
During a meeting regarding city licenses and infrastructure, the Seattle City Council rejects a petition from local Chinese firms to celebrate their new year with traditional fireworks.
- A 'Mantraps' Warning: Building Collapses on South Third
A recently renovated shop collapses into kindling just minutes after workers vacate the premises.
- Spontaneous Combustion Narrowly Misses Seattle Disaster
A late-night fire at a dry goods store was quelled just in time, highlighting the hidden dangers of combustible materials in the wooden city.
- Seattle’s First Chinese-Owned Cigar Factory
Wa Chong Co. launches a manufacturing venture on Third Street, aiming to keep local profits within the community.
- Seattle's Public Ball Grounds Ruined by Grading
Young athletes find their field, cleared and maintained at their own expense, rendered useless by city infrastructure work.
- Seattle's Local Musicians Sidelined for Outside Talent
The Seattle Cornet Band expresses public indignation after being passed over for a local celebration contract in favor of an expensive imported band.
- A Case of Mistaken Identity or Cold-Blooded Theft?
A Chinese merchant is jailed after being accused of robbing a countryman, but claims he is the victim of a vindictive setup.
- Yesler's Big Block Forces Business Shuffle
As Henry Yesler prepares to build a new four-story brick landmark, local merchants scramble for temporary quarters.
- 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 Tragedy at the Cabin
A pioneer settler is found dead in his home after a brutal struggle, sparking a local manhunt near Colfax.
- 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.
- When Washington Territory Granted Women the Vote
A rare 1884 report reflects on the early, controversial experiment of woman suffrage and the inclusion of women on juries.
- The Birth of Ellensburg
A railroad company, a local politician, and a handful of property owners cut a deal to secure the future of a new town in the Kittitas Valley.
- The New Yakima Depot: Planning a City from Scratch
Northern Pacific Railroad directors map out a new town with schools, churches, and canals in Eastern Washington, signaling a transformation for the frontier.
- 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.
- Suspicious Land Deals on the Northern Pacific
Settlers are being shut out of a questionable land grant adjustment that may benefit the railroad at the public's expense.
- 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.