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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 4 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 5 |
20 stories matching pit
- The Deadly Sidewalks of Old Seattle
A local minister’s tumble into a 'horrible pit' sparks public outrage over the city’s treacherous, poorly lit, and uneven walkways.
- The Miracle of the Giant Powder Blast
A laborer describes his harrowing journey through the air after a catastrophic industrial explosion near Puyallup.
- The Hidden Hazard of the Woods
A toddler suffers horrific burns after falling into a camouflaged pit of smoldering rot.
- The Sheep Wars of Orcas Island
Tensions rise on Orcas Island as residents clash over the rights of sheep farmers to graze large herds on public lands, pitting economic interests against community access.
- The Manly Art of Boxing Gone Wrong
A local man's humorous attempt to improve his health through boxing with his younger brother leads to broken brackets and a bruised nose.
- The Midnight Drills of Seattle’s Citizen Militia
Complaints of noisy midnight military exercises spark tension in the city, pitting neighborhood quiet against the pride of the National Guard.
- The Sailor's Union vs. The 'Kate Darrow'
A standoff on the Seattle waterfront pits the Sailor’s Union against a ship captain over boarding rights.
- The 'Cubic Air' Ordinance and a Courtroom Stand-Off
A legal clash in Seattle pits local officials against a law that criminalized living conditions for the Chinese community.
- The Battle of the Kittitas Toll-Gate
A road construction project in the mountains has sparked a local rebellion, pitting frustrated residents against the private toll-road operators.
- The Sunday Saloon War: When Seattle’s Business Elite Fought for the Right to Rest
In January 1885, a heated civic battle erupted over the enforcement of Sunday closing laws, pitting the city’s liquor trade against a coalition of reformers and weary laborers.
- The River That Could Drown a Valley
A brewing legal and ecological battle in the White River valley pits farmers against a railway company, as shifting waters threaten to swallow millions in property.
- 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.
- A Coal Baron's Ultimatum: Finish the Railroad or the Black Diamond Mine Stalls
P. H. Cornwall says his King County mine has spent more than $60,000 and is ready to ship coal to the world—if the Oregon Improvement Company completes its Cedar River line to the pit.
- The Waterfront Property War
A high-stakes legal battle over Seattle's tide lands pits powerful developers against squatters in a fight for the future of the harbor.
- The Shipyard Walkout at the Port Blakely Mill
When an employer mandated a ten-hour workday, laborers staged a strike that pitted the mill's authority against the collective will of the workers.
- Miners March Thirty Miles for a Solidarity Strike
A group of Newcastle miners trekked across the territory to convince Franklin workers to shut down the pits in a labor dispute.
- The Sunday Saloon Wars: How Seattle Debated the 'Law and Order' Ordinance
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council erupted into a fierce debate over a proposal to force saloons to close on Sundays, pitting reformers against tavern owners in a struggle over civic control and personal liberty.
- The Tragedy at the Soap Factory
A local businessman meets a horrific end after falling into a vat of boiling grease.
- The Miners at Newcastle Demand Fair Time
Workers at the Newcastle coal mine initiate a strike over wage-deduction schemes and travel time between the town and the pit.
- The Well That Killed Twice
A promising new homestead a few miles east of Whatcom became a death trap when a pocket of gas swallowed John Kidwell and the neighbor who tried to save him.