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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 19 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 7 |
41 stories matching mud
- The Tragedy on the Mud Flats
A fisherman’s attempt to reach his boat in the dark ends in a horrific drowning, as bystanders mistake his cries for help.
- The Mud Hole at the Arlington Hotel
A local property dispute on Commercial Street exposes the messy reality of 1885 Seattle infrastructure.
- The Daily Struggle: When Seattle Was Made of Mud
A local pedestrian finds himself literally stuck in the muck of Mill Street, illustrating the primitive state of 1885 infrastructure.
- The Perils of the Seattle Tideflats
A mother survives a terrifying fall through a rotten wooden sidewalk into the mud-filled depths of the Seattle tideflats, exposing the dangerous state of the city's infrastructure.
- The Hidden Hazard on Commercial Street
Pedestrians are at the mercy of runaway teams and deep mud in an alleyway near Phillips' stables.
- Battling the Cascades: A Railroad Contractor’s Winter Ordeal
Before high-tech de-icing, railroad crews in the Cascade Mountains spent months shoveling snow by hand just to keep the tracks from vanishing into the mud.
- The Courthouse Mud Trap
A dangerous quagmire on Third Street leaves citizens stuck in the clay on their way to justice.
- A Visitor’s View of Seattle in 1884
A traveling correspondent offers a candid take on Seattle’s mud, growth potential, and the recent victory for women’s suffrage.
- 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.
- Opening the Cascade Pass for Commerce
New improvements to the Snoqualmie wagon road are rapidly shortening travel time between the interior and Seattle, promising to boost the city's trade reach.
- The Resurrection of the Big Chief
A Mud Bay man wakes from a trance to declare himself a prophet, leading hundreds of Indigenous followers into town in a solemn, chanting procession.
- The Art of Getting Helped
A clever traveler tricks two impatient men into doing the labor he was too tired to finish.
- A Domestic Worker's Near-Fatal Fire
While caring for a child, a domestic worker is severely burned when her clothing catches fire; a bystander saves her by rolling her in the mud of Front Street.
- The Judge and the Philosopher in the Tank
A local drunk arrested for public intoxication offers a colorful, philosophical defense to the judge, arguing that his lifestyle is a necessary pillar of the city's economy.
- The great railway washout of 1883
Heavy spring snowmelt triggers dozens of washouts along the railway between Spokane and Ainsworth, leaving passengers stranded in the mud.
- The Seneca Street Sludge
A persistent drainage issue on a downtown sidewalk sparks frustration among Seattle pedestrians, highlighting the lack of basic civic maintenance in the growing city.
- The Steamship San Pedro’s Wharf-Crushing Accident
A steamship failed to stop at its Seattle wharf, plowing into the structure and causing thousands of dollars in damage.
- The Drunken Rampage at the Marshall Block
A rowdy disturbance on Commercial Street lands a man in the custody of the law after a destructive tavern brawl.
- Seattle Was Selling Itself by the Lot
A correspondent finds a city crowded with renters, hotels turning travelers away, and speculative prices for even a Fifth Street mud puddle.
- War on the Teredo Worm
New experimental methods are required to protect wharf pilings from Puget Sound's destructive wood-boring pests.
- The Waterfront Turf War
A railroad tycoon and a dry dock company fight for control of Seattle's mud flats as the city transforms.
- The Unintended Romance
After attending a Chautauqua lecture on marital advice, a Seattle-area farmer attempts to woo his wife with small acts of kindness, leading to an unexpected thaw in their long-stagnant marriage.
- Washington Celebrates Equal Suffrage
Legislators, judges, and citizens gather in Olympia to hail the territory's historic move to enfranchise women.
- Mud, Drains, and Municipal Neglect
With city infrastructure in disarray, a local editor calls for a better approach to grading, drainage, and basic sidewalk maintenance.
- Skeptics Question the 'Boom' in Tacoma
A blistering critique of the 'Tacoma Ledger' and its persistent, unsubstantiated claims regarding the city's industrial future.