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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 9 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 3 |
24 stories matching count
- The Unsettled Presidency of 1876
As the nation grappled with a deadlocked electoral count in the Hayes-Tilden election, Seattle residents read a deep-dive analysis of the constitutional chaos and the risk of a political breakdown.
- The 'Vanity Fair' Lottery Scandal
When a Seattle game of chance faced accusations of fraud, the proprietor was forced to defend his honor in the pages of the local press.
- The Unpolished Potential of the White River Valley
A traveler’s 1880 excursion into the agricultural heart of King County reveals a land of 'enormous yield'—and farmers who leave their hogs to eat their own profits.
- Election Day in 1880 Seattle
A report from the polls captures a day of intense political fervor, quiet order, and the early counting of ballots in the frontier city.
- The Electoral Crisis of 1877
As the U.S. teetered on the edge of constitutional chaos, Seattle citizens read the fine print of the bill designed to settle a deadlocked presidential election.
- The Lottery King’s Plea: Yesler Admits Guilt in Seattle’s First Real Estate Scandal
In a rare moment of candor, H.L. Yesler—the patriarch of Seattle—pleads guilty to violating laws regarding his real estate lottery, marking the end of a controversial scheme that sought to distribute land through chance rather than commerce.
- The $100-a-Month Bosses: Mining Executives Earn More Than Presidents
A new report reveals that the average salary of mining officials in Washington Territory is $100 per month—double that of state legislators and far exceeding the wages of the men who dig the ore.
- The Perils of Poor Bookkeeping
A stern warning from the 1876 Seattle business community on the dangers of sloppy accounting and the virtues of labor.
- The Boy from the Desert
A young man, raised in the comfort of a merchant’s home, struggles with an inexplicable longing for a life he never knew.
- The Political Pulse of Eastern Washington in 1880
A pre-election report from the territory reveals shifting alliances and Republican optimism across the Cascade divide.
- Midnight Intrusion at the County Jail
A night watchman thwarts a brazen break-in attempt at the Seattle jailhouse after a tense standoff.
- The Art of the Lunch-Counter Heist
A hungry traveler uses a sharp tongue and a little bit of 'brass' to get a free meal in 1870s Seattle.
- The Territorial Election: Defining Seattle’s Future in 1878
As Washington Territory eyes statehood, local papers urge a massive voter turnout to secure political clout and prove the region's population worth.
- The Rising Forests of Belltown
A 1875 dispatch captures a neighborhood in metamorphosis, as the deep woods of Belltown are rapidly cleared to make way for cozy cottages and the expansion of Seattle.
- The Madman with the Million-Dollar Conspiracy
A wandering stranger’s frantic claims of a plot to rob him in Seattle lead to his arrest and a stark reminder: the city is growing too fast for its own good.
- The Price of a Pioneer Homestead in 1877
A modest real estate listing from a century-and-a-half ago highlights the stark contrast between early Seattle’s property market and today's vertical city.
- The Boomtown Blueprint: Seattle's 1877 Real Estate Pitch
As lumber prices cratered and labor became cheap, local papers urged investors to stop building shoddy shacks and start constructing 'neat, commodious cottages' for high-interest returns.
- The Brutal Genie of the River Valley
An 1876 editorial reflects on the cyclical devastation of Washington’s river floods and why farmers never seem quite ready for the waters to rise.
- The Hypocrisy of the Amen Corner
A skeptical local columnist exposes the 'sham' piety of a congregation member, offering a gritty glimpse into the social life of 1877 Seattle.
- The Lure of the City and the Reality of Hard Times
A frontier editorial warns local farm families that the 'fancied comforts' of Seattle often end in unemployment and vice.
- The False Promises of the Arctic Gold Rush
An 1877 dispatch from Seattle warns local laborers that chasing get-rich-quick mining dreams in the North leads only to bankruptcy, while those who commit to farming the region’s soil build actual wealth.
- The Perilous Steam Bath of 1876
A Nevadan visitor to a Seattle Turkish bathhouse finds himself in a comedic, sweltering hostage situation over the reputation of his famous family name.
- The Wild Foot Race on Commercial Street
Before the city grew, Seattle’s main thoroughfare hosted a high-stakes sprint that drew crowds to the rooftops and left bettors stunned.
- The Bread and Butter Vote: How the Custom House Ring Rigged Port Townsend Politics
In a stunning display of patronage politics in September 1876, federal employees in Port Townsend marched in lockstep to defeat local opposition, proving that government jobs were still the ultimate political currency.