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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 15 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 12 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 1 |
44 stories matching launch
- A New Stern-wheeler for the Sound
A local shipbuilder launches the 'Katie Vanzandt' in North Seattle, highlighting the region's rapid growth in maritime commerce.
- The Queen City gets a new tugboat
A festive launch of Stetson & Post's new tugboat ends in a brush with catastrophe.
- The House of Refuge: A Sanctuary for Seattle’s 'Homeless' Women
In an era when single women often faced destitution or vice, the local Women's Christian Temperance Union launches a new initiative to provide respectable housing at moderate rates.
- The Useless Life-Saving Station at Neah Bay
An 1885 editorial criticizes the federal government for failing to staff the Neah Bay station with capable crews, warning that stranded sailors would find themselves abandoned in a crisis.
- Federal Crackdown on Washington Territory Land Grabs
General Land Office Commissioner launches a sweeping investigation into corrupt land entries.
- 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.
- Seattle’s First Chinese-Owned Cigar Factory
Wa Chong Co. launches a manufacturing venture on Third Street, aiming to keep local profits within the community.
- The Campaign to Exclude Chinese Workers
In 1885, a newly formed committee of Seattle citizens launched an aggressive effort to purge Chinese labor from the city, circulating petitions to prevent property owners from leasing to Chinese residents.
- Clearing the Streets of 'Washington Street Aristocrats'
Local police launch a crackdown on the city's 'vagrants,' forcing them to either work or leave town.
- Grand Army of the Republic Seeks Final Resting Place for Veterans
Local veterans launch an effort to move honorably discharged soldiers from 'pauper’s fields' to a proper monument in the Masonic Cemetery.
- City Council Launches Investigation into Police Judge
Corruption allegations involving the 'bartering' of justice lead to a formal probe by Seattle officials.
- The Unlucky Entrepreneur of Seattle
A hopeful man attempts to launch a steamship business in Seattle, only to be outmaneuvered by a rival and left with a rotting boat.
- The Makah Mariners Who Returned from the Spirit Land
Two sailors picked up 600 miles out at sea by the bark Buena Vista were thought dead, only to reappear at Neah Bay to a hero's welcome.
- The Rapid Rise of Eagle Harbor
A quiet settlement nine miles from Seattle transforms into a thriving community with a school and regular preaching.
- Northern Pacific Unearned Lands Spark Public Domain Push
Citizens launch a movement to reclaim Northern Pacific land grants for the people.
- The Republican Campaign Launch
Candidates take the stage in Seattle to argue for land forfeiture, taxation of railroad monopolies, and statehood.
- The Forgotten Origins of the Pacific Mail Line
How an obscure postmaster from Astoria helped launch the steamship route that fed the California Gold Rush.
- Gould’s Shadow Over Seattle’s Rails
Speculation mounts as a new company launches to link Seattle to Walla Walla and Baker City, signaling a major power move by Jay Gould to claim Puget Sound as a rail terminal.
- The Umatilla Disaster: A Harrowing Sea Rescue
After striking rocks off Cape Flattery in a blinding snowstorm, the crew of the steamship Umatilla survived a perilous escape, aided by local Indigenous people.
- The Gospel-Ship Scam on Puget Sound
How a pious Olympia minister raised international funds to build a missionary vessel, only to pivot it into a lucrative towboat business.
- A High-Stakes Coal Theft Lawsuit
Investors launch a $375,000 legal battle over coal allegedly mined without permission from their land.
- Judge Wood's Perilous Plunge
While traveling by water for a political campaign, a local Judge slips from the deck of a steamer and nearly loses his life in the sound.
- John Leary’s Lake Washington Mill
Capitalists launch a new manufacturing venture connected to the city’s water supply.
- The Great Seattle Retail War of 1886
As Seattle merchants faced an economic downturn, a fierce 'price war' erupted between downtown clothiers, with competing shops slashing prices and using aggressive marketing to survive the season.
- The Birth of Seattle's Classical Music Scene in 1885
High-society music lovers gathered at S.G. Young’s office to launch the Oratorio Society, setting the stage for the city's cultural maturation.