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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 27 |
| 1889 | 51 |
| 1891 | 28 |
| 1892 | 206 |
| 1893 | 224 |
| 1894 | 201 |
| 1895 | 161 |
898 stories
- The Political 'Linen-Washing' of 1892
In a frantic bid for the labor vote in Tacoma, mayoral candidate Alexander Parker is forced to scrub his reputation of sympathy for the city's persecuted Chinese community.
- Washington Lawmaker Urges Sale of Puyallup Reservation Land
Representative John L. Wilson argues that the Puyallup reservation hinders Tacoma's industrial growth, proposing the removal of restrictions on land sales to clear the way for white development.
- The Land Office Conspiracy
A broken man returns to Tacoma to implicate prominent businessmen in a high-stakes scheme to forge property titles.
- Tacoma Labor Rallies for Homestead Strikers
Hundreds of workers gather to denounce Pinkerton agents and call for protective labor legislation in Washington State.
- Smallpox Quarantine Shuts Down the Sound
Puget Sound cities scramble to seal their borders as a smallpox epidemic spreads from Victoria.
- Smallpox Panic on the Puget Sound
As Tacoma enforces aggressive quarantine measures, fears of contagion drive local authorities to police borders and vaccinate the public.
- Senate Weighs Puyallup Land Rights and Citizenship
Senator Allen argues that citizenship should grant Puyallup tribal members the right to sell their property, challenging federal restrictions on the reservation.
- The Deadly Knife Fight at the South End
A fatal stabbing in Tacoma reveals a web of tavern disputes, jealousy, and police misconduct in the South End.
- The Tacoma Murder-Suicide
A father kills his daughter and himself, leaving behind a trail of letters and a dark, complicated history in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Political Schemer of Tacoma
How a local industrialist bought a newspaper to build his own influence and secure public contracts.
- The Price of a Vote in Tacoma
Corruption and 'barrel' politics clash in a heated Republican primary, as anti-Bennett factions fight back against organized vote-buying.
- The Opium Ring Debauching Tacoma’s Messenger Boys
Detective Flannigan uncovers a ring of adults using opium and illicit lodging houses to exploit children in the messenger service.
- Puyallup Elders Defy the Wilson Bill
Indigenous leaders on the Puyallup reservation gather to protest government efforts to force the sale of their tribal lands.
- The Traveling Quack and the Stolen Girl
A traveling doctor accused of abducting a 12-year-old girl is arrested in Tacoma after a trail leading from California to the Puget Sound.
- A Warning to the Shanghaiers of Tacoma
A notorious boarding house keeper is sent to prison for his brutal, predatory business practices.
- Tacoma's 1893 Water Purchase Vote and Bribery Claims
Bribery allegations and political intimidation reach a fever pitch as citizens decide whether the city should purchase the private water and light plant.
- The Machine Behind the Water Bonds
Tacoma laborers are being fired for speaking out against a water plant sale, while reformers fear an election rigged by saloon-bought votes.
- Tacoma’s Floating Border: 142 Chinese Passengers Ordered Back Aboard the Mogul
A Northern Pacific steamer brought 242 Chinese travelers to Tacoma in 1893. Collector Wesson admitted 100, stretched a World’s Fair loophole for 32 actors, and ordered the rest deported—while smugglers counted the cost.
- A Railroad Across Puyallup Land—With the Tribe’s Consent?
Frank C. Ross sends federal officials contracts for a right-of-way through the Puyallup Reservation, testing whether Indigenous consent can authorize construction without Congress.
- The Perjury Game in Tacoma’s Courts
Federal authorities struggle to stem the tide of fraudulent entry certificates as legal battles over the Geary Act intensify.
- The Northwest Lumber Cartel Forms in Tacoma
Major mill owners from across the Puget Sound region organize to stabilize prices and set standard grades for timber.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad's Shadowy Claim on Puyallup Land
A railroad attorney hints at a complex legal scheme to extract funds from the Puyallup reservation, sparking local debates over land ownership.
- The Mysterious Disappearance of Commodore Post
A missing Tacoma banker, once thought dead, turns up in China, revealing a tangled web of financial trouble and a high-society marriage plot.
- The Canadian Pacific 'Ticket Scalping' Conspiracy
Federal agents entrap a transcontinental railroad for selling cut-rate tickets, leading to high-stakes indictments in Tacoma.
- The Tacoma Waterworks Scandal
Citizens and the City Council expose a massive financial swindle involving a failing water plant purchase.