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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 799 |
| 1884 | 455 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
3,198 stories
- The Night the Milton Sawmill Burned
A late-night inferno consumes local businesses and a storehouse, leaving a rural community in financial ruin with no insurance to soften the blow.
- King County's Missing $61,000: Treasurer Accused of Embezzlement
A committee's report reveals that former County Treasurer George D. Hill is indebted to King County for over $61,000; the board orders legal action against him and his bondsmen.
- The Defiant Board of Registration
When the Supreme Court of Washington Territory ruled against women’s suffrage in 1887, Seattle officials openly revolted, ordering women to register for the upcoming city election anyway.
- The Great Rabbit Invasion of 1897
Farmers and settlers in the Palouse region faced a desperate agricultural crisis as a massive swarm of rabbits descended upon their fields.
- The Great Tax Assessment Mess of 1887
Seattle and King County property owners find their tax rolls hopelessly entangled in errors, leaving public officials to question if the entire assessment should be scrapped.
- The Day the Floor Collapsed at the Revivals
A two-story church in Seattle, serving as a school on its lower floor, gave way under the weight of a crowd, resulting in a thirteen-foot plunge and multiple severe injuries.
- The Broken Promise of the University
A bitter civic dispute over why the territorial university moved from Port Townsend to Seattle, revealing 19th-century political maneuvering and broken handshakes.
- The Unraveling of a Seattle Banker
When the cashier of the Snohomish National Bank was found to be a defaulter, the resulting financial ruin exposed deep cracks in the stability of local frontier finance.
- The Dark Secrets of the 'Bird Family' Murder Mystery
A courtroom in Seattle turns into a theater of intrigue as a defendant’s confession unspools a web of coerced insurance policies, secret letters, and cold-blooded greed.
- The Fading Glory of Portland
Railroad expansion threatens to shift the center of Pacific Northwest shipping from the Columbia River to the Puget Sound.
- Tragedy on the Sammamish Slough
A mother survives a boat accident that claimed the life of her four-year-old son near a logging camp.
- A Widow’s Gritty Resolve in the Chehalis Wilderness
After her husband was crushed by a falling tree in the remote woods, a woman used a saw to free his body and kept vigil alone through the night.
- Border Hurdles for New Arrivals
Customs officials confront a backlog of Chinese passengers arriving without proper certification.
- The Feds Crack Down on Land Fraud
A new circular from the General Land Office warns settlers that 'speculation' is illegal and will be met with criminal prosecution.
- Tragic Horse-Kick Claims Life of Youth
Nineteen-year-old Hiram Hamilton is killed instantly in a freak accident while tending horses at his father’s barn.
- A Fourth of July Tragedy in Snohomish
A spirited colt runs away during the holiday celebration, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old rider.
- The Coal Wealth of the Cascades
Vast mining operations in Carbonado and Newcastle drive the regional economy and fuel the push for new transcontinental rail connections.
- The First Direct Shipment from China
The arrival of the American ship Mercury in Puget Sound signals the start of a massive new trade route.
- The Push for Washington Statehood
While Washington Territory eyes the Union, local leaders debate whether to wait for Congress or force the issue.
- City Council Launches Investigation into Police Judge
Corruption allegations involving the 'bartering' of justice lead to a formal probe by Seattle officials.
- Federal Crackdown on Washington Territory Land Grabs
General Land Office Commissioner launches a sweeping investigation into corrupt land entries.
- Drafting the Law of the Sound
A legislative proposal to appoint a formal Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Puget Sound and Juan de Fuca Straits.
- Lincoln County Carved Out
Legislative battle ends in the creation of a new county despite local opposition.
- City Hall vs. The Legislature: A Fight for Local Control
An editorial challenges the legality of the Washington Territorial Legislature appointing members to the Seattle City Council.
- The Lure of the West: A Pioneer’s Review of the New Frontier
An old-timer returns from an Eastern tour to report on the state of the Northern Pacific line and the promise of the Washington Territory.