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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 19 |
| 1885 | 29 |
| 1886 | 20 |
| 1887 | 21 |
116 stories matching determin
- The Trial of Neil Sweeney: Sane or Mad?
A Seattle probate court spends an afternoon determining the mental state of a man accused of madness, highlighting the precarious nature of asylum discharges and personal liberty in 1887.
- Winter at the Packing-House Picket Line
As Seattle's labor landscape shifts in 1887, meat-packers face a grueling struggle against both their employers and the encroaching winter chill.
- The Great Liquor Debate of 1886
As Seattle teetered on the edge of a new era, citizens prepared for a pivotal June vote to determine the future of the local liquor trade.
- The Siege of Seattle: A City Under Martial Law
After four days of intense unrest, the city maintains order and asserts its commitment to American law.
- The Unlucky Three: A Case of Professional Laziness
Three men in Seattle face a week of hard labor after a judge determines they are unwilling to work for a living.
- Boston Capital Eyes Seattle Cable Cars
A visiting financier negotiates a massive infrastructure deal to bridge Seattle’s steep hills with new technology.
- The Great Fourth of July Camp-Out Fiasco
When Seattle’s local militia attempted to prep for a military parade, their poor planning and lack of supplies resulted in a humiliating, mud-soaked retreat.
- Infant Remains Discovered on Salmon Creek
A grim discovery by a U.S. Deputy Marshal sparks an investigation near a local mill.
- The Struggle to Build the Territorial Penitentiary
A desperate plea from the prison board for funding to build essential living quarters, highlighting the dire state of the Washington Territorial Penitentiary in 1887.
- Mapping the Gateway to the Chehalis
An official 1883 engineering survey reveals the natural promise of Gray's Harbor.
- The Mysterious Fate of a Mutilated Man
A tragic case of labor, isolation, and identity emerges in late 19th-century Seattle.
- A High-Stakes Footrace Challenge
Two rivals trade insults and deposit cash wagers for a sprint contest to determine the 'fastest man on the Sound.'
- Snoqualmie Pass: Seattle's Potential Iron Empire
A local developer scouts for iron and copper in the Snoqualmie Pass, hoping to launch a major mining and rail operation that would connect the mountain riches directly to Seattle.
- The Great Tacoma Potato Fiasco
When a local farmer tried to break into the Tacoma market with a wagonload of produce, he found that the city’s much-vaunted commercial prosperity was, quite literally, not worth a hill of beans—or potatoes.
- The Fight for Public Land
Seattle activists organize to challenge the Northern Pacific Railroad's control over vast swaths of Washington Territory.
- The Palace of Belltown
W. W. Bell constructs a massive, modern hotel at Front and Battery streets, signaling a new era of growth for the northern expansion of Seattle.
- Vigilantism and Intimidation Against Chinese Residents
An attempted assassination of two Chinese men in Seattle is thwarted by police, leading to the arrest of three 'highbinders'.
- The Northern Pacific's Elusive Cascade Branch
A skeptical look at how the Northern Pacific Railroad tried to rebrand its lines to secure land grants in King County.
- Tragic Drowning at the Tacoma Waterfront
An unidentified man, intoxicated and disoriented, falls to his death while attempting to navigate the dark railroad tracks.
- A Seattle Pioneer Returns to the Frontier
After surviving a family tragedy on Whidbey Island, a pioneer returns to the West to rebuild his life.
- The Logger's Protective Association
After enduring wage cuts and rising costs, Washington's loggers begin organizing to push back against a legislature that seems determined to strip away their protections.
- City Council Charges Corruption in Fire Department
A motion is introduced to investigate grave accusations made against the Mayor and Council concerning the illegal passage of a fire department ordinance.
- Suspicious Land Deals on the Northern Pacific
Settlers are being shut out of a questionable land grant adjustment that may benefit the railroad at the public's expense.
- The Year of Anti-Chinese Agitation in King County
An 1885 review looks back on a year marked by intense, organized efforts to drive Chinese laborers out of Seattle and the surrounding coal mining districts.
- A Lodged Tree, a Fatal Step: Logging’s Toll Near Ferndale
W. N. Roberts was planning how to bring down a hung tree when it fell on him—a sudden death in the woods north of Ferndale.