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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 799 |
| 1884 | 455 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
3,198 stories
- The Unsolved Disappearance of John H. Wisely
A man disappears from his home in broad daylight, only for his body to be discovered days later on the shores of Elliott Bay.
- The Mystery of the Man on Brannan Place
A brutal murder discovery in Seattle sends a shockwave through the city after a dock worker is found with his pockets turned inside out.
- The Tragedy on the Sound: A Monday Morning Lost
A routine morning boat trip near Seabeek turns fatal when a sudden lurch of the sail boat claims the life of a worker, leaving his companion to tell the story.
- The Great Pig Entrapment of 1886
A pig's quest for kitchen scraps leads to a neighborhood-wide ordeal in downtown Seattle, involving the Fire Department and a very persistent squeal.
- A Holiday Call for a Broken Family
A mill worker’s leg injury at the dawn of 1887 leaves his eleven children in dire need, sparking a rare community effort in early Seattle.
- The Tragic Fall at the Bluff
A prominent former judge meets a fatal end after a night-time misstep in early Seattle.
- The Bold Burglars of North Seattle
Citizens are arming themselves as a crime wave sweeps through the growing city, leaving residents on edge as night-time prowlers evade the law.
- The Unseen Cost of a Changing Railroad
A 1887 editorial warns that new federal commerce regulations could dismantle local trade networks in Seattle and beyond, favoring big cities at the expense of regional producers.
- The Ghost of the Johnson House
A boarder in Ellensburg vanishes on the morning train, leaving behind a spouse in poverty and a wake of unpaid debts.
- The Great Snoqualmie Rail Race
How two rival railroad companies raced through the brush to stake a claim on the critical bottleneck at Snoqualmie Falls.
- The Hidden Hoard of Seattle's Recluse
When two elderly men were found dead in a filthy, squalid room, a subsequent search revealed a small fortune stashed in bedposts and rags.
- The Price of a Roof in 1885 Seattle
A look at the frantic real estate market and rental landscape of early Seattle, where rapid growth and the promise of railroad expansion sent property values soaring.
- The Newspaper Monopoly Holding Seattle Hostage
In 1887, the Post-Intelligencer exposed a 'printing ring' between rival newspapers that artificially inflated the cost of public contracts.
- The Unlucky Mr. Joffrey and the Ten Dollar Holiday Gift
A Seattle resident’s New Year’s generosity backfires when a 'drunken' battery-powered motor leads to a night in police court.
- The House That Had to Move
A Seattle man faces an expensive bureaucratic nightmare when he realizes his brand-new home was built on the wrong plot of land.
- The Attorney's Brawl: A Legal Dust-Up in Probate Court
Two well-known Seattle attorneys settle a probate dispute with a flurry of fisticuffs in the courtroom.
- The Governor’s Secret Gift to Seattle’s Newsboys
A surprise act of philanthropy transformed the cold winter of 1887 for Seattle’s most vulnerable young workers.
- The Secret Bride of Fifteen Years
A chance encounter in Seattle reveals a woman’s decades-long secret: a teenage marriage kept hidden from society and the law.
- The Price of a Broken Heart: A Seattle Breach-of-Promise Suit
A jilted lover demands thousands in damages from the father of his former fiancée, itemizing every box of candy, carriage ride, and theater ticket he purchased during their courtship.
- The Wage-Theft Struggle of 1887 Seattle
Working women in the late 19th century fought back against exploitative employers who withheld pay, turning to labor unions to recover their stolen wages.
- Tragedy at the Mouth of the Columbia
A broken hawser on a tow line claimed the lives of three sailors in a sudden, violent accident off the bar of the Columbia River.
- The Brewery Barricade: A Pioneer Land Grab
A young saloon keeper attempts to fence off a public path to build a beer garden, igniting a neighborhood revolt in 1887 Seattle.
- The Unbeatable Fence of Old Town
A standoff between property owners and the city government plays out on an obstructed public thoroughfare, mirroring the modern tensions of land access in a growing metropolis.
- The Carpenter's Secret Compartment
A crafty smuggler’s hollowed-out tool chest, designed to look like the property of a humble working man, fails to outsmart Seattle Customs inspectors.
- The Final Act for Seattle's Oldest Theater
Once the grand stage for Fourth of July orations and legal battles, Yesler’s Hall is being gutted to make room for offices.