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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 13 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1885 | 11 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 11 |
51 stories matching sort
- The Sheriff vs. The Election Posters
A Seattle lawman is arrested after he goes on a rampage tearing down political advertisements, leading to a physical showdown with a local citizen.
- The Strange Disappearance of the Wharf Thief
A witness recounts the mysterious final moments of a man who stole a boat and seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a trail of questions.
- The Unwanted Guest of Providence Hospital
A 'harmless crank' in 1885 Seattle exposes the gaps in the city's social safety net.
- The Decalcomania Confidence Man
A group of Seattle women expose a predatory art instructor who used a 'transfer work' scam to swindle local households.
- Railroad Monopoly Tightens Grip on Lumber
A newly formed 'Improvement Company' linked to the Northern Pacific Railroad establishes a monopoly over regional lumber trade.
- The Maritime Runaways of Puget Sound
A survey of seafaring history where captains would 'elope' with their own ships to evade the law, including recent incidents in Tacoma.
- The Sad End of a Local Pet
A harmless land otter, kept as a mascot, was killed by an erratic local resident in a senseless act of cruelty.
- Worker Falls 36 Feet in Opera House Construction Accident
German laborer Henry Neigleman fell 36 feet through a collapsed plank at Frye's Opera House, breaking a shoulder blade.
- The Public Shut Out of the 'Floating Palace'
Residents gathered in the rain to welcome a massive new steamer, only to be denied entry by a locked-out policy.
- The Ghostly Burglar of Main and 12th
A Seattle household tried everything to stop a persistent intruder—from chair barricades to tin-pan alarms—but the culprit bypassed every obstacle, leaving the family baffled.
- The Scandal of the 'Assignation House' on Front Street
A public, anonymous accusation of moral impropriety sparks a newspaper rebuttal and a demand for civic dignity in early Seattle.
- 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 Unpredictable Life of Seattle’s 'Odd Job Man'
William D. Southworth, a local eccentric, attempted to organize a national guard, impersonated high-society figures, and left a trail of bafflement across 1880s Seattle before his final confinement.
- The Railway to Nowhere
Citizens of Seattle fronted $150,000 for a coal railroad, but with the tracks stalled and workers laid off, the project has become a dead-end.
- The War for the Northwest: Railroad Moguls and the 'Rounders' of Portland
A bitter editorial from 1886 exposes the propaganda campaign waged by Northern Pacific railroad agents against Portland to secure terminal dominance for the Puget Sound region.
- Anti-Chinese Discrimination on the Sound
A prominent merchant is insulted and denied service on a passenger steamer, exposing the growing intolerance of the era.
- The Street Preacher's Final Sermon
A 'monomaniac' street preacher who habitually harassed passersby is apprehended by police and committed to the territorial asylum.
- The Unfulfilled Dream of a Washington Sugar Valley
A cautionary tale of failed agricultural speculation and the elusive promise of a sugar beet industry in the late 1880s.
- Railroad Workers Left Without Pay in Seattle
Construction crews on the Cedar River extension face a dire crisis after the Oregon Transcontinental company fails to issue wages since January.
- Grand Jury Reports Overcrowded Jail and Neglect
A critical look inside King County’s criminal justice facilities and care for the vulnerable.
- Bodies of Colman and Patten Recovered from Lake Washington
After weeks of searching, a homemade underwater viewing device helps recover the bodies of two men murdered on the water.
- Tragedy on the Tracks: A Night of Horror
A train derailment near Seattle leaves passengers trapped in the wreckage as a fire begins to spread through the cars.
- The Squak Valley Massacre Trial
A courtroom drama unfolds as witnesses testify regarding the violent night in 1885 when white men raided a Chinese hop-picking camp.
- The Trial of Prince the Dog
A Seattle jailhouse standoff erupts when two men both claim ownership of a local canine, forcing a judge to decide who the dog really belongs to.
- The Lawless Frontier
Violence on the Northern Pacific railroad line signals a looming safety crisis as massive construction crews arrive in the Cascades.