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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 9 |
| 1883 | 34 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 30 |
| 1886 | 15 |
| 1887 | 18 |
116 stories matching total
- Railroad Bridge Collapse Halts Travel
An iron bridge spanning the Crease Creek is lost to a washout, causing significant disruption to traffic.
- Total Loss at Black Diamond
A hotel fire in the mining town of Black Diamond leaves residents homeless and penniless.
- The Final Voyage of the John Rosenfeld
The noble Maine-built ship is declared a total loss after running aground on a reef near Lummi Island.
- The Great Timber Fires of 1883
Uncontrolled forest fires rage across Washington Territory, destroying logging camps and infrastructure with no end in sight.
- The Great Land Office Fire at Olympia
A catastrophic fire destroys essential territorial land records and plats, forcing homesteaders and pre-emption claimants to restart their filings from scratch.
- The Treasury Scandal of 1887
A team of expert auditors discovers that King County’s former treasurer, George V. Hill, systematically pilfered thousands of dollars using creative accounting and 'lost' tax records.
- The Price of a Growing City: Mayor Leary’s 1885 Fiscal Reckoning
Mayor John Leary delivers a scathing audit of Seattle’s municipal debt, high-interest scrip, and the struggle to maintain public services while balancing the budget of a booming town.
- The Skagit River Claims the Steamer Josephine
A local steamer is reported to be in a 'very perilous position' after sinking in the Skagit River, with its hurricane deck submerged.
- The Industrial Bounty of 1884
A wide-ranging survey of Pierce County’s coal mines, timber mills, and the early aspirations of a burgeoning Seattle and Tacoma.
- Boiler Explosion Wrecks Steamer Josephine Near Port Susan
A local steamer bound for the Skagit River suffers a boiler explosion near Fort Susan, leaving several dead and the vessel a total wreck.
- Seattle's First Municipal Election Under the New Registry Law
A record-breaking turnout draws thousands to the polls as two political factions clash in a pivotal city election.
- The Sad Fate of the Umatilla
A survey of the shipwrecked vessel confirms the total loss, with underwriters bracing for the salvage auction.
- Fire on Lake Bosler: A Logging Crew's Narrow Escape
A brush-clearing fire near a new railroad bridge spiraled out of control in Snohomish County, forcing a team of loggers into a desperate flight for survival.
- Temperance Crusaders Demand the Ballot
A historic convention of the W.C.T.U. in Seattle adopts a radical platform demanding suffrage for women as a weapon against the 'liquor traffic.'
- The Unpaid Wages of Seattle's Mill Workers
Employees at a local mill face financial desperation after being notified that their promised wages for two weeks of labor cannot be paid.
- The False Rumor of a 'Doc' Griswold Shooting
A street rumor concerning a fatal card game dispute in New Westminster turns out to be a total fabrication.
- The Oriental Hotel Burns to the Ground
A pre-dawn fire claims a downtown landmark, leaving one man severely injured and a widow without her business.
- The Women’s Crusade Meets in Seattle
Temperance activists and leaders, including Miss Willard, gather to discuss the path toward prohibition in Washington Territory.
- A Fishing Scow Left High and Dry
A local fishing expedition turns into a salvage nightmare after a grounding in the Gulf of Georgia.
- The Relief Society's Annual Report
Seattle's charitable women report on a year of sheltering abandoned children and aiding the city's destitute families.
- The Summer the Smoke Saved the Harvest
With rainfall a third of normal and crops burning in the fields, Seattle's paper made the case that the season's suffocating pall of forest-fire smoke had been the region's salvation.
- The Battle Over Public Tidelands
A recurring civic headache resurfaces as the City Council weighs conflicting claims on the city's valuable waterfront property.
- The Shame of Seattle's City Jail
A grand jury investigation into Seattle’s penal system reveals a crumbling facility plagued by filth, corruption, and the disappearance of evidence.
- The Boss’s Iron Rule at Port Madison
At the isolated timber colony of Port Madison, the mill owner maintains total control over his workers' lives—and is preparing to banish any employee who dares frequent a new saloon.
- The Cascades Rail Standoff
High hopes for the Northern Pacific’s Cascade branch crumble as work on the massive infrastructure project hits a total standstill.