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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 6 |
| 1880 | 3 |
15 stories matching separ
- The Paradoxes' Last Argument
After three years of domestic strife, a Seattle couple reconciles on the eve of a formal separation, proving that sometimes the best way to handle a 'horrid temper' is to tear up the legal papers.
- The Wedding-Journey Argument
A young couple's petty dispute over transportation during their honeymoon highlights the fragile nature of new love.
- The Scandal at the Springfield Hotel
A young woman’s stay at a local hotel comes to a chaotic end when three separate men arrive to claim her as their own.
- Divorcing the 'Unsuitable': Seattle Legal Notices from 1872
Public legal notices reveal the stark reality of marital dissolution in early Seattle, where 'incompatibility' and 'neglect' served as grounds for separation in the King County District Court.
- The Forgotten Mariners of Puget Sound
Two sailors sue for unpaid wages in 1880, revealing the rough, transient life of the maritime labor force that powered Seattle's early economy.
- The Harassment of Mrs. Robinson
A vulnerable woman in Seattle is subjected to a months-long campaign of targeted abuse, culminating in an arson attempt that nearly burned down a local hotel.
- The Great Hair Heist of the Commuter Train
A love-struck suitor tries to claim a souvenir from his sleeping crush, only to accidentally shear her wig instead of her locks.
- The City Goes to the Polls in 1878
A rare glimpse into the logistical footprint of Seattle’s civic life during the era of wooden sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages.
- The Automatic Suitor-Smacker
A fed-up father builds a booby-trapped gate to drive away his daughters' persistent suitors, turning a domestic headache into a mechanical triumph.
- The Price of Separation in 1878
A legal summons published in the Puget Sound Dispatch highlights the harsh reality of divorce proceedings in territorial Seattle.
- The Engine House Was Locked—and the Janitor Was at Church
When two fires broke out in Seattle's Chinese quarter, the engine house was locked and the janitor held the key. Bystanders put out the flames—and the paper demanded a fire department overhaul.
- The Silent Men of the Powder Mill
Working in the volatile shadow of Seattle's 1872 gunpowder industry, men labored in constant, hushed fear of an accidental explosion that could erase their existence in an instant.
- The Newspaper Editor and the Political Bruiser
A brutal street assault in Olympia reveals the volatile intersection of frontier politics and an independent press.
- The High-Stakes Custody Tug-of-War
A desperate father flees across state lines with his young son, leading to an international standoff in Seattle between law enforcement and a father armed and prepared to fight.
- Hanged on a Doubt: Washington Territory's First White Execution
When John Thompson was hanged in Seattle in 1877, many believed he was guilty of manslaughter, not murder. The Dispatch made the case that the law had taken a life it should have spared.