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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1883 | 35 |
| 1884 | 16 |
| 1885 | 24 |
| 1886 | 21 |
| 1887 | 27 |
129 stories matching step
- The Waterfront 'Hotbed of Disorder'
In 1887, Seattle officials and citizens mobilized to purge the city's waterfront of the 'notorious' floating houses that provided a refuge for the city's poorest residents.
- 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 High License Battle
As Seattle debates the future of the liquor trade, the city's editorial voice warns that failing to support 'high license' regulation will only invite full prohibition.
- The Fishermen’s Union Organizing Meeting
A representative from the Columbia River Protective Union arrives in Seattle to organize local fishermen, leading to a clash over labor inclusion and the definition of a 'good man.'
- The City's Broken Lumber Deal
When lumber prices soared in 1887, Seattle’s city contractors simply walked away from their obligations—and the city council let them get away with it.
- A Library for North Seattle
How the local lodge of Odd Fellows stepped up to provide education and public gathering space to a growing community.
- The Disenfranchised Daughters of Seattle
Stripped of their right to vote by a Supreme Court ruling, the women of Seattle gather in a defiant, fractious meeting to organize against the 'fossils' of the law.
- Tumwater Fights for Political Survival
Threatened by the expansionist ambitions of neighboring cities, Tumwater moves to reincorporate to protect its territorial autonomy.
- The 'Freezing Out' Campaign of 1885
As anti-Chinese sentiment reaches a fever pitch in Seattle, the local press advocates for a 'peaceful' campaign of economic exclusion to force the Chinese community out of the city.
- The Ghost of the Streetcar Line
A Seattle streetcar driver recounts the haunting memory of a boy he once lashed with his whip, only to learn later that the child was dying.
- Explosion at the Stump
A teamster's narrow escape after a misfired blast in his land-clearing efforts.
- The Saloon Question in Olympia
Olympia's City Council moves to curb the prevalence of saloons through steep fee hikes, a move that the P-I suggests Seattle should replicate.
- Fire Company Disbands, Leaving Town Unprotected
The Rescoe Engine Co. folds in Port Townsend, sparking local fears about fire safety and a desperate hope for a new steam engine.
- Loggers' Narrow Escape
A dangerous workplace accident on Bainbridge Island leaves a logger hospitalized in Seattle.
- Drunken Longshoreman Saved from Seattle’s Docks
After stumbling off the Main Street wharf, a local laborer’s immense voice narrowly saves him from drowning in the harbor.
- The Battle for the Right of Way
The Northern Pacific Railroad and the Postal Telegraph Company lock horns in a legal battle over territory.
- An Editor's Brutal Critique of Bad Poetry
A local poet brings his manuscript to the P-I office, only to have his work butchered by an editor with a cynical, practical sense of humor.
- The Unsolved Mystery of the 'Soft-Footed' Burglar
A quiet intruder terrorizes Seattle residents, leaving victims baffled after appearing in their homes in the dead of night—only to flee at the sound of a voice.
- The War Over the Wires
A newspaper editor battles the Western Union monopoly over telegraph rates and news distribution.
- The Discriminatory Zoning of the 1880s
A local paper decries Chinese residents purchasing property, advocating for forced segregation to maintain white property values.
- Workman Falls Twelve Feet in New Brick Building
Henry Lohse survives a dangerous plunge through an elevator hole at O.R. Stone's construction site.
- Seattle Welcomes the Iron Road
The completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad sparks a massive civic celebration, promising to end Seattle’s era of isolation.
- The Desperate Struggle at the Steilacoom Asylum
A man awaiting commitment to the insane asylum attempts to take his own life in the halls of the institution.
- Judge J. H. Jones Appointed Commissioner
The former Seattle Police Judge steps into a new federal role under the Cleveland administration.
- The Tragic Cost of a Long-Standing Feud
A fifteen-year-old boy shoots and kills a man in downtown Oakesdale, Washington, following years of harassment.