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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 23 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1878 | 1 |
32 stories matching agent
- The Persistent Pest in the Parlor
A classic 1878 dispatch on the 'improved' book agent who swears he never bothers anyone—right before being forcibly ejected into the street.
- The Miracle of the 'Family Must Have' Machine
In 1876, a Puget Sound agent marketed the sewing machine not just as a tool, but as a revolutionary domestic wonder required for every household.
- The Struggle to Feed and House King County's Poor in 1876
Newly surfaced county records reveal the bureaucratic grind of managing public welfare, road construction, and the sequestration of municipal rents in 1870s Seattle.
- The Artisan of the Seattle Frontier
Before the city became a tech hub, it was built by tradesmen; M. J. Oldis established a stoneyard at the foot of Second Street to provide the marble and masonry that would give a permanent face to a wood-plank town.
- The Pioneer Baker of Seattle
A rare glimpse into the early daily life and food infrastructure of a growing Seattle.
- The Picky Buyer of Seattle
A skeptical land-seeker turns down a perfect farm because of a church organ, illustrating the absurd lengths of a real estate hunt.
- The 'Hulless' Oat Promise of 1876
An early Seattle entrepreneur touted a revolutionary 'agricultural wonder' grain, promising local farmers a harvest that outperformed wheat with half the labor.
- The Makah Nation’s First Harvest of Grass
In an era defined by displacement, a small group of Makah Indians surprised Port Townsend residents by arriving with scythes to offer their labor in the local hay fields.
- The Real Estate Hunt of 1876
A modest listing for a home between Seneca and University hints at the rapid transformation of early Seattle real estate.
- The Postmaster’s Plight: A Decades-Long Betrayal in Skagit County
In the midst of a national economic depression, a respected elder and long-serving postmaster in Mount Vernon faces federal fraud charges, sparking a community debate over loyalty versus law.
- The Circus Comes to Town: Montgomery’s Queen’s New Brings the 'Wonderful Kenebels' to Seattle
In October 1876, the largest and most brilliant circus company in the West descended upon Seattle, offering a night of acrobatics, animal acts, and high-flying daredevils for just one dollar.
- The Hustle of 1876 Seattle: A Frontier Mercantile Mosaic
Before the skyscrapers and tech giants, Seattle was a bustling town of blacksmiths, brickmakers, and steamboat agents—here is how the city’s early commerce actually worked.
- Waddell & Miles Stocked 50 Stove Styles in 1877
A look at the bustling specialized trades and supply chains that built a growing Washington Territory city in 1876.
- The Industrial Ambitions of Pioneer Square
How local craftsmen and entrepreneurs began transforming the muddy, frontier-era blocks of Seattle into a professional urban district.
- The Push for a Western Migration
In 1877, Seattle boosters and railroad agents mapped out a deliberate campaign to transform the Puget Sound basin from a 'remote' wilderness into a thriving, industrial metropolis.
- The 'Hulless' Oat Craze of 1876
A Vermont promoter and a Duwamish River farmer pitch a new 'agricultural wonder' to the settlers of Washington Territory.
- The Miracle Crop of the Duwamish Valley
In 1876, a local farmer touted the 'Hulless Oat' as an agricultural revolution for the Seattle region, promising heavier yields and sweeter grain than traditional varieties.
- The Iron Backbone of the Puget Sound Frontier
Before skyscrapers and tech, Seattle was built on pipes, brick-ovens, and the ambition of merchants like Waddell & Miles who powered the city’s rapid expansion.
- The Iron Heart of Industrial Seattle
A look at the expansive storefront of Waddell & Miles in 1876, a one-stop shop for the pipes, stoves, and industrial machinery that built the frontier.
- The Oat Innovation of the Duwamish River
A local farmer introduces a high-yield 'agricultural wonder' to the Seattle market, promising to revolutionize feed production on the frontier.
- The Professor Who Escaped the Shackles: A Seattle Spiritualist’s Audacious Escape
In July 1876, Professor S.S. Baldwin drew a crowd at Yesler’s Hall not for his spiritualist tricks, but for his daring escape from handcuffs and leg irons—a feat that left the audience gasping and proved he was no fraud.
- The Gambler’s Gamble: How a Frenchman’s ‘Little Bit’ Sparked a Seattle Riot
In the early days of Seattle, a dispute over a small sum of money at a boarding house escalated into a violent brawl involving three gamblers and a local resident, highlighting the volatile nature of frontier justice.
- The Persistent Peddler of Front Street
A persistent brush salesman tries to make a sale in 1876 Seattle, leading to an amusing exchange about baldness and local vanity.
- The Paper War: Port Townsend vs. Seattle
In 1876, a small rival town accused Seattle of economic sabotage over who printed their business cards.
- Waddell & Miles Stocked 50 Stove Styles in 1876 Seattle
A look back at the bustling commercial district of 1876 Seattle, where hardware stores like Waddell & Miles fueled a rapidly growing frontier city.