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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 9 |
| 1883 | 40 |
| 1884 | 23 |
| 1885 | 48 |
| 1886 | 19 |
| 1887 | 28 |
167 stories matching hard
- Railroad Land Grabs Threaten Whitman County Settlers
Homesteaders fight a corporate legal battle to save their farms from a massive Northern Pacific land grant interpretation.
- The Tragic Cost of the Miner's Den
In a remote mining camp, a man’s hard-earned savings and life are lost in a sudden, violent encounter with card sharps.
- Hard Labor on the Hill
As the Seattle county jail hits capacity, the sheriff puts inmates to work clearing brush on the city's hills.
- The Price of Resistance: Seattle Unions Take On 'Dark' Boarding House Practices
While Seattle’s 1887 press was full of land speculation and railroad hype, a quiet labor dispute reveals how maritime workers fought back against predatory rooming house keepers who swindled sailors out of their hard-earned pay.
- The Great Seattle 'Hard Times' of 1885
As local businesses scrambled to collect debts and residents bartered farm goods for services, Seattle residents looked at the nation’s economic slump and wondered if they could weather the storm.
- A Fleeing Groom’s Deception
A printer marries a local woman in Seattle, only to abandon her three days later with claims of a secret past and a search for her savings.
- The 'Shut Up or Shut Up' Baseball Challenge of 1885
After a hard-fought draw on the diamond, the Newcastle Baseball Club issues a pugnacious challenge to the Seattle team for a rematch on the race track.
- The Fight for Statehood: A 1882 Pitch for Washington’s Future
Before Washington was a state, its Congressional delegate fought a 'hard fight' to convince Washington D.C. that the territory was ready to join the Union.
- The 'Hard Times' of 1888: A City in Stagnation
As Seattle families struggle with unemployment and the high cost of living, the local press captures a city gripped by a financial slump.
- The Hoarding of Wealth in 1885 Seattle
While storehouses and granaries overflow, a letter to the editor questions why the economy stays starved of currency.
- The Trial of Dr. Jack
An elderly Indigenous man is sentenced to three years of hard labor in a case that drew crowds of grieving community members to the courthouse.
- The Hornet’s Last Call
In hard times, a U.S. Marshal’s auction of a small steamship offers a glimmer of opportunity for local opportunists.
- Seattle's Chief Woolery Gives the 'Hard Cases' a Meal and a One-Way Boat
Meeting every steamer from up the Sound, the police chief spots known troublemakers, feeds them, and tells them when the next boat leaves—then finds a valise of safecracking tools and giant-powder cartridges.
- 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.
- A Glimpse Inside Fred Gasch’s Modern Seventh and Union Home
A detailed look at a high-end Victorian residential build in 1885 Seattle, highlighting the era's transition toward 'hard-finished' interiors and local craftsmanship.
- The Unlucky Escape of Frank Hogan
After four years on the run, a jailbreaker is recognized and knocked cold by the Chief of Police.
- The Skagit County Sheriff’s 'First Class' Hotel
Newly formed Skagit County lacks a proper jail, forcing the sheriff to board inmates at local hotels at public expense.
- The Daily Hustle in 1884: Seattle’s Employment Market
A local advertisement offers a window into the hard-pressed economic life of the 1880s, where employment bureaus doubled as commercial clearinghouses for everything from Chinese hop pickers to ship crews.
- Violent Outburst at Kepplar's Beer Hall
A quiet game of cards on Front Street turned bloody when a ship carpenter stabbed a local plasterer, leading to a quick intervention by the Chief of Police.
- Seattle’s Quest for Reliable Water
How a local reservoir project aims to secure a steady water supply for a growing city.
- The Day Seattle's Railroad Men Faced Down the Company
After refusing worthless paper scrip, workers at a Seattle railway firm stood their ground and demanded their wages in hard cash.
- The Unchecked Power of the Northern Pacific
A scathing editorial decries the 'bloodless, soulless' corporation for exploiting homesteaders and evading taxes while demanding public lands.
- The Final Round of 'Jack' Kennedy
A rough-and-tumble gold miner turned Seattle saloonkeeper leaves behind a legacy of generosity and the city’s complex, hard-drinking history.
- The Price of a Knife Fight
A violent altercation between two sailors leaves a man hospitalized and the community frustrated with a light jury verdict.
- New Year's Eve Terror at the Brunswick
A head cook is struck down by an unknown assailant in a downtown lodging house, sparking a city-wide investigation and an arrest of a desperate, unemployed plasterer.