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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 13 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 3 |
47 stories matching shape
- The Mysterious Bomb at the Postoffice
A suspicious package resembling a bomb creates a localized stir at the Seattle post office.
- The Passing of a Frontier Lawyer
The community mourns the death of Frank Clark, a prominent pioneer lawyer and former legislator, whose legal career helped shape the early days of Pierce County.
- The Deadly Hazards of the Timber Frontier
Tragedy strikes workers in Lewis and Thurston counties as multiple men are killed by falling trees during the logging season.
- The Roller Rink's Strict Rules
An 1881 Seattle rink owner moves to sanitize the reputation of his roller skating establishment.
- The 1885 'Law and Order' Showdown
Before the city's modern identity took shape, a civic movement rallied for municipal reform, setting the stage for a dramatic political overhaul in Seattle.
- The Roller Skating Scandal of 1882
A Seattle roller rink proprietor attempts to clean up his act by barring the 'improper,' as injuries mount among the city’s elite.
- The Battle for Seattle's Coal Wealth
A report on the power struggle between the Oregon Improvement Company and the Northern Pacific, and how it shaped the local economy.
- A Massive New Coal Vein in the Cascades
A promising sixteen-foot-thick deposit of high-quality coal is discovered near the foothills of the Cascades, sparking speculation about a new rail line.
- An Eastern Critique of Seattle’s ‘Young Men’s Party’
A skeptical observer from Brooklyn weighs in on the age-based political movements shaping Washington Territory.
- The Fight to Reclaim Railroad Lands
A lobbyist writes from Washington, D.C., on the progress of a bill to forfeit Northern Pacific land grants and restore them to the public domain.
- The Fiery End of the Steamer Gazelle
A small stern-wheel steamer, once a fixture of the Willamette River, burns to the waterline while awaiting a load of shingles.
- Tragedy on the Tracks in Spokane Falls
A laborer is found horribly mangled near the depot in what is presumed to be a tragic accident born of intoxication.
- The Jackson Street Railroad Takes Shape
The City Council reviews a massive ordinance granting transit rights across town, from Elliott Bay to the city limits.
- The Plot to Overturn Women's Suffrage
A leaked political scheme from 1886 reveals a coordinated attempt by territorial Democrats to replace the judiciary and strip Washington women of their voting rights.
- The Unsung Frontier: A New Era for Black Diamond
Readers in the Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer get a rare, optimistic dispatch from the mining town of Black Diamond regarding its rapid development and natural beauty.
- A Near-Fatal Industrial Accident at the Oregon Improvement Mill
A mill worker is struck by a spinning iron collar, highlighting the constant physical risks faced by laborers in Seattle’s early industrial landscape.
- A New Home for Engine No. 1
Seattle's volunteer firefighters get a state-of-the-art brick headquarters on Columbia Street.
- The Perils of 'Fantastic' Street Engineering
Complaints emerge regarding city contractors creating basins and trenches that trap water, creating eyesores and potential health hazards.
- The Price of Fire Safety in a Growing City
A look back at Seattle's seven-year evolution from a fire-prone settlement to a city investing heavily in steam engines and professional gear.
- The Seattle Man Who Tried to Photograph the Soul
A local resident claims to have invented a device that captures the human spirit departing the body at the moment of death.
- Drunken Brawl at Yesler's Wharf
Two opportunists and their intoxicated victim end up in jail after a chaotic street struggle.
- The Daily Business of Building a County
Before the era of massive public works projects, the Board of County Commissioners shaped the local landscape one road, one bridge, and one 'poor' claim at a time.
- The Industrial Grasping of the Tideflats
A legal notice from 1885 reveals the early enclosure of Seattle's waterfront by the railroad, shaping the city's geography for the next century.
- The Gypsy’s Prophecy Was a Calculated Ruse
A young woman recounts how a chance encounter at a local gypsy camp shaped her romantic future, only to learn the 'fate' she experienced was actually a series of elaborate deceptions.
- The Islanders Build a Sanctuary
In June 1885, the residents of Vashon Island came together to hand-build a new Methodist church with timber from their own land.