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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 5 |
27 stories matching dear
- Labor Unions Demand Action on Border Enforcement in 1886
An exchange of letters between the Seattle Knights of Labor and the Collector of Customs highlights early local anxieties over immigration policy.
- The Knights of Labor Demand Action on the Border
A fiery 1885 exchange reveals deep tension between Seattle's labor unions and federal officials over the lax enforcement of Chinese immigration restrictions.
- A Final Journey from the Mill
A three-year-old boy dies at Port Blakely, prompting a somber, community-led transit of his body to Seattle for burial.
- The Shadow in Pioneer Square
A young woman takes a stand against her husband’s gambling habit on the streets of late-19th-century Seattle.
- The Czar of Russia Would Not Dare
A Seattle city councilman publicly lashes out against the Territorial Legislature's overreach in appointing local officials without popular consent.
- Washington Territory Urges Congress to Reclaim Railroad Lands
A scathing editorial from 1886 demands the forfeiture of unearned railroad lands, accusing the Northern Pacific of holding the territory hostage for profit.
- The Telegraphers Who Spilled Too Much Tea
Two railroad telegraph operators make the mistake of gossiping about a bridal couple over the wire, only to find the groom is a company superintendent.
- A Desperate Hour in Chehalis
After a domestic quarrel, a former probate judge in Chehalis attempts to end his life in the same room where a gruesome murder occurred years prior.
- The Overachieving Schoolgirl of 1888
A reporter interviews a fourteen-year-old girl struggling under the crushing weight of an hyper-academic curriculum.
- The Unlucky Bachelor of Seattle
A cautionary tale from the 1880s about the perils of marriage and the high-speed heartbreak of being a widower in a hurry.
- The Unjust Public Shaming of J.E. Spafford
After the death of his wife, a Seattle laborer fights back against local gossip and accusations of neglect in a poignant appeal to the press.
- The Tragic Death of Edith E. Ewing
A young woman’s suicide note is made public by her grieving father, sparking a somber reflection on the pressures of life in 1884 Seattle.
- The 'Lingerer' and the Moral Purge of Tacoma
A fiery 1885 editorial spat reveals the tension between town boosters and a 'Law and Order' movement intent on policing the morality of the emerging city.
- The Bachelor's Rebuttal
A young suitor gets an earful from a skeptical woman who prefers independence to the reality of 1880s marriage.
- The Orphan’s Plea: A Poem That Moved Seattle to Tears on Decoration Day
As the city honored Civil War dead with solemn processions and speeches, a young girl’s grief over her father’s unmarked grave brought the Grand Marshal to tears.
- The President Takes the Side of the Homesteader
In an unprecedented rebuke to a powerful railroad corporation, President Grover Cleveland defends a Washington Territory settler's right to his land.
- The $4,800 School Lot in the Wilderness
Seattle taxpayers cry foul as school directors eye block 14, Central Seattle—land with no families within half a mile and a price twice what similar property fetched.
- The Struggle for a Road from Duwamish to Seattle
A local settler demands a plank road to town, arguing that poor infrastructure is stifling growth and discouraging new arrivals.
- The Tragedy of the Dancing Mouse
A tiny creature with a flair for the dramatic met her end while trying to enjoy a violin performance in the comfort of a private home.
- The Ballot Box Tug-of-War
When the right to vote was first won, newly enfranchised women in Seattle faced an immediate, domestic gauntlet of political pressure and neighborhood intrigue.
- The Mother in the Front Pew
A sermon on appearances and the judgment of the wealthy, as observed in a Seattle church.
- The Church Fair Grind: A Young Man’s Ordeal with Charity and Cake
In a tale of social pressure and predatory fundraising, one Seattleite recounts his harrowing escape from a church bazaar where 'charity' meant forced purchases, fake fortunes, and extortionate flower prices.
- 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 Great Land Squeeze of 1885
While the Northern Pacific Railroad publicly promised to 'build up the country,' settlers in King County found their land held hostage for mineral rights and future profits.
- The Preacher Who Turned Court Into a Prayer Meeting
A local street preacher, arrested for his public fervor, turns the tables on the magistrate by forcing a courtroom to its knees.