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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 8 |
| 1877 | 7 |
| 1880 | 2 |
17 stories matching execution
- 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 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 Artisans of the Foundation
A glimpse into the heavy labor and craftsmanship that quite literally built the streets and structures of early Seattle.
- Vandals Wreck Indian Canoe
Youths on the Seattle waterfront destroy an Indigenous person's boat for sport.
- The Sheriff’s Eviction: A Bloodless Coup on San Juan Island
In May 1877, a contingent of Victoria militia and the local sheriff executed a peaceful but firm eviction of five families from disputed land, arresting only those who resisted or fraternized with the miners.
- The Sawmill Scandal: Henry Yesler’s Long Legal War
Before the city grew, Seattle’s founding titan was locked in a decade-long, bitter courtroom battle over his sawmill, revealing the ruthless undercurrents of the frontier economy.
- Seattle's Grand New Courthouse Plans Unveiled
Architect Isaac Palmer presents a bold, brick-and-mortar vision for the corner of Third and Jefferson, signaling the city's aspirations for civic permanence.
- The Great Congressional Shutdown of 1876
A historic clash between the House and Senate left federal workers across the country—and the crew of a local Revenue Cutter—stranded without pay.
- The Dog Tax That Barked Back: Seattle’s First Crackdown on Strays
In 1876, the City Council passed a law requiring every dog to wear a numbered collar and pay a tax—or face execution. The result? A chaotic hunt for unlicensed mutts and a grim new reality for the city's half-starved strays.
- The Governor’s Unacknowledged Son
A condemned prisoner in the city jail delivers a final, shattering letter to the Governor, revealing a secret connection that exposes the cruel indifference of the ruling class.
- The City Marshal’s War on Dogs
In October 1876, Seattle’s law enforcement launched a crackdown on stray animals, rounding up six dogs and giving owners a grim ultimatum: pay the fine or watch their pets executed.
- The War That Shook Seattle’s Wallet: How European Conflict Spiked Wheat Prices
While the rest of the world braced for war in the Balkans, Seattle merchants watched their profits soar as panic buying drove wheat prices to historic highs.
- The Seattle Bond That Broke the Rules
A legal dispute over a $15,000 appeal bond reveals the messy, high-stakes nature of early Seattle commerce and the scrutiny of contract law.
- A Deadly Saloon Fight Ends in a Public Execution-Style Killing
An altercation over a game of cards in the mining settlement of Kent leads to a gruesome death and a cold-blooded confession on the tracks.
- The Man Who Wouldn't Die: A Seattle Gallows Horror
In a gruesome spectacle that shook the young Territory of Washington, Francis Epps survived his own hanging by mere inches, crying for mercy as the crowd watched him dangle in agony before being cut down.
- The Paper War: Port Townsend vs. Seattle
In 1876, a small rival town accused Seattle of economic sabotage over who printed their business cards.
- The Land Grab That Stalled Seattle’s Growth
A local editorial warns that the Northern Pacific Railroad’s hoarding of millions of acres is strangling settlement and development in Washington Territory.
Also about this, in other words
- The Hanging Sentence of John Thompson
A condemned man stands in a crowded Seattle courtroom, maintaining his innocence while awaiting the gallows for a fatal brawl in Renton.