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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 31 |
| 1884 | 26 |
| 1885 | 41 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 35 |
142 stories matching develop
- The Struggle for the Promised Land of Washington Territory
While Washington pioneers clamored for the development of government-held land to build a state, political gamesmanship in Washington, D.C. left the local economy in limbo.
- New Coal Vein Discovered in the Cascades
A six-foot-thick vein of coal discovered near Cle Elum marks a new development in regional resource exploration.
- 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 Buried Treasure of Seattle’s Industrial Future
A real estate notice reveals the immense value—and looming development—of a coal field near Lake Washington, long before the city’s urban expansion.
- The Unsung Frontier: A New Era for Black Diamond
Readers in the Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer get a rare, optimistic dispatch from the mining town of Black Diamond regarding its rapid development and natural beauty.
- The Enigma of the Moses Reservation
A critical look at the federal policy keeping prime Washington farmland locked away from development while the Indigenous people it was intended for remain elsewhere.
- Protecting the Timber Frontier
Seattle business leaders lobby to maintain trade protections against foreign competition.
- The Battle for the Rails: Monopoly vs. The Public Good
A scathing editorial from 1885 outlines the clash between the Union Pacific’s 'business-first' model and the Northern Pacific's alleged strategy of political bribery and town-site speculation.
- The Unpaved Dispute: A Seattle Street Fight
When the City Council attempted to force through street improvements against the wishes of local property owners, the resulting legal struggle highlighted the friction between civic development and individual land rights in 1887.
- The Balloon-Powered Park Plan
A satirical interview with a Seattle developer reveals the absurd lengths civic boosters would go to inflate the value of local land.
- The Morning the Earth Shook in Seattle
An unusually violent tremor rattles early risers in 1886, marking a moment of shared alarm in the developing town.
- The Unpaid Streets of Tacoma
A bitter legal battle reveals the messy, unpaved reality of infrastructure development in late 19th-century Tacoma, pitting laborers against local developers.
- The Rivalry of the Sound: Seattle vs. Tacoma
A critical report from a German newspaper highlights the starkly different development paths of the two boomtowns.
- The Mother Who Fled a Tyrant
A mother escapes her husband’s brutal control and property schemes after enduring years of abuse, turning to the law to secure her child’s safety.
- The Forgotten Dream of an Open Seattle Library
In 1885, Seattle residents could access the University's library for just one dollar a quarter, a radical experiment in civic education that the local press urged to become a permanent foundation for the city's future.
- The Rivalry That Built the Sound
In 1887, C.B. Wright, a key figure in the development of Tacoma, reflects on the 'nip and go' panic that forced the Northern Pacific terminus to choose between Tacoma and Seattle.
- Railroad Monopoly Targets Seattle’s Prosperity
The Northern Pacific Railroad is accused of prioritizing Tacoma's land values over the economic development of Seattle.
- A Secret Gold Strike in Snohomish County
Local citizens quietly form a company to divert a river and tap into a promising new gold discovery.
- The Unwanted Guest of Providence Hospital
A 'harmless crank' in 1885 Seattle exposes the gaps in the city's social safety net.
- A Tangle Over Tacoma Land
A legal dispute emerges in the southern part of Tacoma over the alleged 'unlawful' development and obstruction of property.
- The Iron Rush: Seattle’s Early Fight Against Monopoly
When mining magnates and railroad tycoons clashed over the future of Washington's natural resources, Seattle’s civic leaders took a stand to protect local control.
- Shanties Cleared at University Street
The City Council orders the destruction of precarious housing at the waterfront, forcing residents out to make way for development.
- Real Estate Standoff Paralyzes Whatcom
A townsite dispute between original owners and a land colony halts development and freezes local business.
- 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 End of the Steamship Monopoly
Competition heats up on the Sound as new steamer lines challenge the dominance of the Villard railroad and boat combinations.