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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 10 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1885 | 4 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 4 |
28 stories matching subscrib
- Seattle's Rail Ambitions Hit a Financial Wall
After securing a $125,000 subsidy from local subscribers, Henry Villard's railroad venture stalls due to financial instability and brutal winter weather, sparking a tense debate over contract deadlines.
- The Race to Build the Cedar River Railroad
Seattle property owners are urged to close a $14,000 funding gap to finish a critical standard-gauge rail line.
- The Inside Story of Seattle's Rail Woes
John Leary reveals why plans for a railroad to the Cedar River coal fields have stalled, exposing the delicate dance between local boosters and coal barons.
- The Forgotten Dry Dock: Seattle's Missed Opportunity
In 1887, a committee’s failure to finalize a dry dock project drove local jobs away, forcing the city to reckon with the consequences of industrial stagnation.
- The Boy Who Wanted a Gun: Seattle’s Satirical Take on Sunday School Prizes
A local columnist mocks the absurdity of juvenile weekly papers offering .32-caliber revolvers to boys who recruit eight subscribers, arguing that this 'philanthropy' teaches murder rather than morality.
- Seattle Citizens Broke Ground on Their Own Railroad
How Seattle’s local investment and grit built a railroad when the Northern Pacific chose Tacoma.
- A Wagon Road, a Supply Store, and 400 Hogs for Seattle
Snoqualmie road boosters say Kittitas subscriptions are coming in fast as their young secretary opens a store and stable at Preston.
- A Damning Verdict on Steamboat Safety
Following the sinking of the steamer Josephine, a King and Kitsap County grand jury finds the vessel's destruction was caused by 'gross negligence' and a failure to enforce maritime safety.
- The Broken Promise of the Cedar River Extension
Seattle businessmen struggle with Henry Villard over delayed rail construction and the demand for early subsidy payments.
- Seattle's New Methodist Church Debt-Free
A local reporter discovers the secret behind the rapid funding of the city's new Methodist Protestant Church.
- A Grand Jury’s Gift of Milk
Seattle’s Children’s Home receives a life-changing donation from the civic body overseeing the county’s legal affairs.
- The Fight for the Land Grant
Citizens demand Congress strip the Northern Pacific Railroad of its massive, unearned land holdings.
- 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 Campaign to Open a Mountain Wagon Road
Booster George Smith lobbies Seattle merchants to fund a vital freight route over Snoqualmie Pass.
- The Rival Ports of the Northwest
A look at the growing competition between Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle as the Northern Pacific Railroad nears completion.
- The Fight for the White River Bridge
A century before modern infrastructure debates, King County residents were struggling with the same basic problem: a river that split a community in two.
- The Fight Against 'Ready-Made' News
In 1884, Seattle’s labor printers stood against the rise of syndicated, out-of-town journalism, arguing that local integrity and local jobs mattered more than cheap, imported content.
- The Unbuilt Railroad That Was Meant to Change Seattle Forever
In 1882, Seattle business leaders were desperate for a direct rail connection to Walla Walla, believing their city’s future prosperity hinged on punching a line through the Snoqualmie Pass.
- The Dream of a Lake Washington Canal Takes Root
Prominent businessmen incorporate the Washington Improvement Company to link the lakes, eyeing a future of farm-rich expansion and city growth.
- The Strange Career of Captain Mauritzen
A crafty imposter poses as a Scandinavian official and newspaper correspondent to fleece local islanders and investigate a non-existent murder.
- The Horror at Slaughter
A man named Spafford is arrested for the gruesome killing of his wife in a small village near the White River after he attempted to perform an illegal abortion.
- The Unraveling of the Northwest’s First Conglomerate
A deep dive into the financial maneuvers, coal monopolies, and failed experimental farming schemes of the Oregon Improvement Company.
- The Collapse of a Workingman's Dream
A bold attempt at worker-owned enterprise in Tacoma ends in financial failure and legal recriminations.
- Boston Capital Eyes Seattle Cable Cars
A visiting financier negotiates a massive infrastructure deal to bridge Seattle’s steep hills with new technology.
- The Cornerstone of Charity: Grace Hospital Rises Above the Sound
On an elevated plateau overlooking the water, Seattle's Masonic orders join the clergy to dedicate a new hospital dedicated to all, regardless of creed.