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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 14 |
| 1883 | 37 |
| 1884 | 16 |
| 1885 | 46 |
| 1886 | 24 |
| 1887 | 31 |
168 stories matching think
- The Battle Over Naming Baby Brown
A classic matrimonial spat from 1882 reveals the absurd lengths a Victorian couple went to avoid the common name 'Henry' for their newborn son.
- The Steamboat Betrayal
A local captain accuses Ottawa officials of reneging on a mail contract after he already invested in the route.
- The Industrial Hubris of Puget Sound
A visiting machinery salesman critiques the stubborn confidence of Seattle's sawmill operators, who insisted on rigging their own equipment rather than following Eastern standards.
- The Seattle Baker Who Stopped a Midnight Inferno
A quick-thinking baker at the Queen City Bakery spotted smoke rising from the Denny Block, narrowly averting a major downtown catastrophe.
- The Building Boom vs. The Tenant's Plight
Seattle pioneer H. L. Yesler contemplates clearing his property on Mill Street, leaving local business owners scrambling for space as he pivots to ambitious new construction.
- Tragedy on the Duwamish River
A deadly brawl among Duwamish tribal members following a day of heavy drinking leads to a hunt for justice and a call for a crackdown on illegal liquor.
- The Corset Clerk's Nightmare: A Beaver Dam Prank Gone Wrong
In a tale of mistaken identity and trembling knees, a young man’s attempt to escort a famous lecturer ends in panic when he is led to believe he must be measured for lingerie.
- The Call for Exclusion: A City in Economic Upheaval
Facing a local depression, the Post-Intelligencer demands employers prioritize white workers over Chinese residents to combat unemployment.
- The Man Who Was Hanged Twice
A condemned murderer facing execution in Colfax reveals his harrowing, accidental survival of a previous lynching by an angry mob.
- The Political Tidal Wave that Swept Seattle’s Council
After a crushing defeat at the polls, the incumbent 'Law and Order' party leaders signal they will voluntarily step down, ending a bitter period of civic paralysis in 1885 Seattle.
- The Train That Had to Back All the Way to Tacoma
Seattle's sudden rail link to Tacoma promised to beat the boats—if the cars could turn around.
- The High Stakes of Tobacco Farming in Snohomish County
A rural columnist weighs in on the local obsession with hop-growing and the high-risk, high-reward prospect of cultivating tobacco in the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest.
- The Proposal to Import 'Young Scotch Girls' to Seattle
A territorial official proposes a controversial plan to remedy the labor shortage by bringing hundreds of young women from Scotland to work in local households.
- The Pastor Who Couldn't Find a Sermon
In a rare moment of self-awareness, a Seattle clergyman confesses to his deacon that the city's news cycle is so dry he can't even find material for Sunday's sermon.
- Washington Territory's Eight-Year Push for Statehood
A Senate floor speech details the eight-year struggle for Washington Territory to shed its frontier status and become a state, including the controversial proposal to annex Idaho's northern panhandle.
- An Optimist's View of 1882 Seattle
A visitor from Oregon writes home with a bold prediction: in twenty years, Seattle will be the metropolis of the North.
- The Pirates of the Pacific: When Salvage Means Plunder
A biting critique from 1886 argues that maritime 'salvage' laws in the Pacific Northwest have transformed honest sailors into modern-day pirates who hold ships hostage for ransom.
- The Mystery of the Buried Box
A construction crew in Lake City unearths a crate containing human remains, but by the time authorities arrive, the evidence has mysteriously vanished.
- Death on the Seattle Waterfront: A Call for Boiler Safety
An 1886 letter to the editor demands accountability for the 'shoveling engineers' and shoddy steamship maintenance risking lives in Puget Sound.
- An Inside Job at the County Jail
Two prisoners, a clerk accused of theft and an embezzling stevedore, escaped the King County jail by cutting their way out with tools smuggled from the outside.
- Fatal Industrial Accident at Newcastle Coal Mines
A jury investigation concludes that a worker's death in the Newcastle mines might have been prevented with more staff.
- The Perils of the Domestic Ideal
A satirical poem from 1882 paints a brutal portrait of the 'married life' trap awaiting the youth of frontier Seattle.
- The Struggle for a Road from Duwamish to Seattle
A local settler demands a plank road to town, arguing that poor infrastructure is stifling growth and discouraging new arrivals.
- Tragic Accident in Seattle's Southern Brickyards
An eight-year-old boy, the son of a prominent contractor, is severely injured after being struck by a wagon.
- The 'Hard Times' of 1888: A City in Stagnation
As Seattle families struggle with unemployment and the high cost of living, the local press captures a city gripped by a financial slump.