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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 98 |
| 1883 | 511 |
| 1884 | 326 |
| 1885 | 566 |
| 1886 | 361 |
| 1887 | 327 |
2,189 stories
- The 'Social Curse' Argument: A Seattle Paper Builds the Case Against the Chinese
An 1883 editorial sounds the alarm over opium dens and 'heathen hordes,' casting Chinese immigrants as a menace to be legislated out of existence — the ideological groundwork for the expulsions to come.
- The Struggle for Labor's Worth
As telegraphers across the country walk off the job, the local press debates the morality of corporate monopolies versus the rights of the individual laborer.
- Seattle's Big Bet on the Railroad Party
Seattle's boosters see a visit from Henry Villard's 600 Northern Pacific guests as the city's chance to impress Eastern capital—and they want a public reception ready.
- The Unlikely Rise of Henry Villard
A scrappy war correspondent who bet on the railroads to transform from a penniless immigrant into a Northern Pacific powerhouse.
- The Battle for Seattle's Coal Wealth
A report on the power struggle between the Oregon Improvement Company and the Northern Pacific, and how it shaped the local economy.
- The Perils of the Domestic Ideal
A satirical poem from 1882 paints a brutal portrait of the 'married life' trap awaiting the youth of frontier Seattle.
- The Great Liquor Heist: A Partner Vanishes with $2,000 of Goods
In a mystery that baffled Seattle's wholesale liquor trade in April 1882, one partner opens the store to find the stock largely gone, while his business associate has fled town without a word.
- The Unbuilt Railroad That Was Meant to Change Seattle Forever
In 1882, Seattle business leaders were desperate for a direct rail connection to Walla Walla, believing their city’s future prosperity hinged on punching a line through the Snoqualmie Pass.
- Midnight Hijack on the Coal Wharf
A steamship steward is drugged and robbed in the dark, highlighting the dangers lurking on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Garden Valley of the Territory
A correspondent ventures up the White River to survey the booming hops trade, the friction between farmers and the local cheese factory, and the desperate need for a railroad.
- A Deathbed Reconciliation
A tragic loss brings a long-estranged couple back together in Seattle.
- The Real Estate Fever That Never Broke
As coal shipments swell and new wharves rise, Seattle’s property market remains feverish in May 1889—just months before the Great Fire reshaped the city.
- The Forgotten Dream of an Open Seattle Library
In 1885, Seattle residents could access the University's library for just one dollar a quarter, a radical experiment in civic education that the local press urged to become a permanent foundation for the city's future.
- The Rising Power of the Common Citizen
A look at the growing influence of public opinion against the encroachment of corporate monopolies in late 19th-century American politics.
- The Price of Industrial Expansion in Old Seattle
When two prominent wire and manufacturing firms faced insolvency, a crowded meeting of creditors reveals the fragile state of local commerce and the high cost of debt.
- The Iron Horse Reaches the Waterfront
A festive crowd gathers as the steam locomotive 'A. A. Denny' makes its inaugural run along the new third rail, officially connecting the railway to Seattle's bustling industrial waterfront.
- Tragedy at the Shooting Range: A Seattle Volunteer’s Fatal Mistake
While marking targets at a North Seattle range, a local volunteer is accidentally shot and killed by a fellow citizen, leaving a community and a young marksman in mourning.
- The Faithful Guardian of the Foothills
When two children wandered into the deep woods near Makama, they were saved from exposure and wild animals by a loyal family pet.
- A Case of Mistaken Identity and the Seattle Jail
A young man finds himself locked up in Victoria after a contract dispute gets messy, leading to a scramble for his release.
- The Struggle for Wider Wheels on Seattle Streets
As plank roads replaced muddy paths in 1885 Seattle, a push for heavy-duty wagon tires highlighted the city's growing pains with infrastructure.
- Seattle Printers Accuse the Dailies of Replacing Men With Boys
Typographical Union No. 307 says the Post-Intelligencer and the Star swapped compositors for cheap help and imported ready-set plates—then asks the public to judge.
- An Indian Agent Defends His Administration
Agent C.W. Young addresses allegations of monopoly and mistreatment of the Indigenous population at his reservation.
- Seattle Labor Unions Boycott Local Papers
The Knights of Labor organize against the 'importation of reading matter' intended to displace local printers.
- A Night at Brown's Hall: Seattle's Military Gala
In 1886, the city's militia hosted a lavish, high-society dance at Brown's Hall, complete with visiting dignitaries and a display of precision drills.
- The Squatter’s Defense
A Seattle homesteader fights back against accusations of ‘land grabbing’ in an era of rapid frontier development.