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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 16 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 6 |
| 1880 | 9 |
43 stories matching fail
- The Roads of Seattle: A Grumbling Legacy
A wealthy traveler’s sharp assessment of Seattle’s infrastructure in 1880 highlights a civic struggle over street quality that feels strikingly familiar to modern residents.
- The Art of Living Well in 1877 Seattle
While Seattle’s pioneer merchants touted their iron stoves and fine whiskies, the local press offered practical, timeless advice on navigating life’s demands.
- The Seattle Soap Factory's Industrial Ambition
A local manufacturer touts a 'better than oil' solution for the region's logging industry in 1877.
- The Soap King of Commercial Street
A scrappy local manufacturer stakes his claim on the burgeoning Seattle market with a pitch for home-grown goods.
- The Jail-Breaking Drunkard of 1877
A rowdy arrest in Seattle leads to a display of destruction inside the city lockup.
- The Broken Promise of the Puyallup Coal Road
A political scandal erupts as Seattle accuses an attorney of pocketing fees while failing to stop the Northern Pacific Railway from seizing massive swathes of King County land.
- The Unlucky Quail Hunt on Squak Mountain
A teenage outing near modern-day Issaquah ends in a harrowing surgical emergency.
- A Frontier Divorce: Restoring a Name in 1876
After a court order and the absence of her husband, Eugenia Tuite successfully petitioned a district court to dissolve her marriage and reclaim her maiden name.
- A Soaking Wet Spectacle at Harrington Wharf
A drunken man's attempt to secure a tow across the water ends in a humiliating and hilarious public splashdown.
- The Salmon Bite
A minor fishing injury on the Columbia River turns into a race against gangrene for a young man.
- The City’s Panic Over a Smallpox Outbreak
When an infectious disease arrived on the Seattle waterfront in 1876, the City Council and local editors turned to extreme rhetoric, calling for the forced removal of the city's vulnerable populations.
- The Struggle to Pipe Water into Early Seattle
A City Council report from 1876 reveals the frantic, early negotiations to secure a reliable, private water supply for the burgeoning frontier town.
- The President's Vision for a Settler-Colonial Expansion
In his final annual message, President Ulysses S. Grant reflects on the centennial of the republic, the management of the post-war South, and a failed dream of annexing Santo Domingo to solve the 'Negro question.'
- The Political Brawl for Seattle’s Soul
On the eve of the 1876 mayoral election, Seattle’s political landscape is marked by accusations of voter fraud, candidate interference, and a bitter struggle for city hall.
- The City’s Refusal to Put Prisoners to Work
An 1877 editorial slams Seattle’s leadership for failing to use jail inmates to clear public road obstructions, citing the 'delicate hands' of the prisoners.
- The Price of Our Forests
An 1877 reflection on the rapid industrial logging of Puget Sound and its potential impact on the climate and water supply.
- The Unsettled Nation: Seattle Watches the 1876 Election Crisis
While the nation held its breath over a deadlocked presidential contest, Seattle locals turned their eyes toward the local ballot, formalizing the region's nascent civic infrastructure.
- The Death-Trap at Front and Seneca
A dangerous, makeshift bridge over a Seattle construction site is leaving pedestrians scrambling for their lives as the city struggles with incomplete grading.
- The City That Couldn't Keep Up: Seattle’s Housing Crisis of 1876
As immigrants flood in from Kansas and beyond, the city's building boom fails to match the demand for shelter, threatening a severe shortage before winter sets in.
- The Steilacoom Bubble That Burst
A grand, failed railway scheme proves that even the most ambitious 'railroad kings' can't build an empire without a single cent in the bank.
- A Frontier Land Deal on the Snoqualmie
A settler lists his 160-acre riverfront homestead for sale, citing his own failing health as the price of carving a life from the Washington wilderness.
- The Tragedy of a Snoqualmie Valley Homestead
After his health fails, a local settler offers his hard-won riverfront farm for sale, hoping to escape the damp climate of the Snoqualmie.
- The Centennial Vision for a Frontier Metropolis
On the 100th anniversary of American Independence, a local orator laid out a grand—and strikingly prescient—economic blueprint for the future of Seattle and Washington Territory.
- The Midnight Thief on the Steamer Isabel
A passenger loses her entire fortune while dining, sparking a tense confrontation and a failed pursuit of justice on the Sound.
- Midnight Intrusion at the County Jail
A night watchman thwarts a brazen break-in attempt at the Seattle jailhouse after a tense standoff.