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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 15 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 7 |
34 stories matching highest
- The Governor’s Hotel: A Scandal of Misplaced Charges
When an out-of-town politician accused Washington Territory Governor Watson C. Squire of war profiteering during the anti-Chinese riots, the business community and local Democrats rallied to defend his integrity.
- New Life for the Halstead Hotel
A longtime coal miner purchases a familiar local establishment at a public auction.
- The Healthiest Spot in the Union
In 1884, a physician made the case that Seattle’s mild, stable climate made it a medical anomaly—a city where typhoid was rare and death rates were the envy of the nation.
- 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.
- The Struggle Over Mount Rainier
A traveler in 1885 recounts a journey from Portland to Seattle, noting the locals' intense and 'desperate' campaign to rename the iconic peak dominating the Tacoma skyline.
- Major Silver Strike in the Cascades
A new mining discovery near Snoqualmie Pass promises wealth and excitement for the region.
- The Price of Building a City
A routine legal notice from 1888 reveals the harsh reality of foreclosure during Seattle's early territorial boom.
- A Home Lost to Debt in Early Seattle
A legal notice for a Sheriff's Sale reveals the precarious nature of property ownership and domestic stability in late 19th-century Seattle.
- The Sheriff's Impoundment Auction
A stray horse and a bell-wearing sheep are slated for public auction on Washington Street, as the city cracks down on roaming livestock.
- The Struggle for Seattle’s First Classrooms
Before the city became an educational powerhouse, Seattle’s early schools were built on the backs of local volunteers, rented rooms, and desperate community fundraising.
- Seattle’s Quest for Reliable Water
How a local reservoir project aims to secure a steady water supply for a growing city.
- The Unchecked Violence on Front Street
A young boy is victimized by an intoxicated man in broad daylight, sparking community outrage and frustration over the lack of a legal remedy for such a crime.
- Territorial Supreme Court Paralyzed by Missing Law
A confusion of jurisdiction leaves the highest court in the territory unable to convene, forcing an adjournment until September.
- The Doctor Who Saved Oregon
Dr. Marcus Whitman’s heroic 1843 mission to guide wagon trains through the wilderness proved that Americans could settle the Northwest, ultimately shifting the geopolitical fate of the territory.
- The Price of Fire Protection
A debate in City Hall reveals the cost and complexity of securing fire hydrants and water service for a growing Seattle.
- The Sheriff's Auction at the Courthouse Steps
A legal notice from the August 1886 Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer reveals the stark reality of property forfeiture and the machinery of debt in pioneer-era Washington.
- The Price of Convenience in the White River Valley
A model dairy operation is threatened not by failure, but by the overwhelming success of nearby transit and real estate.
- The Governor’s Sudden Exit
After maintaining order during the 1885 anti-Chinese riots, Washington’s Republican Governor Watson C. Squire is ousted by a Democratic administration, leaving a polarized territory behind.
- Miners' Solidarity in the Aftermath of the Nanaimo Disaster
When disaster struck a British Columbia coal town, Seattle's working class miners—many of whom faced daily peril—stepped up to provide aid for the widows and orphans left behind.
- The Mayor's Split Personality
Seattle's local newspaper prints conflicting editorials on the same day, alternating between praising Mayor Henry Yesler and condemning his lack of courage.
- The Garden Valley of the Territory
A correspondent ventures up the White River to survey the booming hops trade, the friction between farmers and the local cheese factory, and the desperate need for a railroad.
- The Right to the Ballot: A Territorial Call to Action
In 1886, as women in Washington Territory claimed the right to vote, editorialists argued that domestic life and civic participation were inseparable.
- The Boomtown Blueprint: Seattle's 1887 Construction Frenzy
Before the Great Fire, Seattle was a city transformed by a sudden, massive wave of brick, sandstone, and ambition.
- Seattle's New Water System Takes Shape
An massive engineering project aims to transform city life with springs and eventually Lake Washington's deep reserves.
- The Squatter’s Defense
A Seattle homesteader fights back against accusations of ‘land grabbing’ in an era of rapid frontier development.