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1. The Stench of the Exchange

   A Snohomish newspaper takes aim at an upstream sanitation disaster, warning that the town’s growth is outpacing its infrastructure.

   May 15, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

2. The Riverfront Factory Boom

   New manufacturing operations along the Snohomish River signal a growing industrial future for the region.

   Jul 15, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

3. New Blood for the Snohomish Valley

   Eight to ten new families are arriving to carve out homesteads in the river valley, marking a pivotal moment for the growing settlement.

   May 1, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

4. The Snohomish 'Lady' and the River Trick

   A local performance in the Snohomish social scene reveals a talent that bridged the gap between labor and artistry, even if the era's framing was narrow.

   Jan 25, 1879The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

5. The Rapid Growth and Growing Pains of Puget Sound

   A local correspondent reports on the shipping boom, the rush of Indigenous harvest workers, and the unsettling pace of land speculation.

   Sep 2, 1876The Northern StarFront Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

6. The Great Diking Effort of Swinomish

   Farmers on the Skagit and Swinomish are transforming thousands of acres of marshland into fertile fields through a massive, coordinated engineering effort.

   Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, La Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

7. The Logging Kings of the Snohomish River

   A single drive of 300,000 feet of lumber marks the success of the Elwell family, who dominate the regional timber trade.

   Dec 22, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

8. The Forgotten Colony of 'La Grande Marsh'

   Promoters promised a thriving agricultural paradise on the outskirts of Snohomish, marketing deep-water access and fertile soil to lure a new generation of settlers.

   Sep 14, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

9. The Mukilteo Colony Pitch: A 19th Century Developer’s Dream

   Before it was a residential hub, Mukilteo was marketed as a grand 'colony' with promises of deep-water docks and agricultural self-sufficiency.

   Jul 13, 1878The Northern StarMukilteo, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

10. The Great Land Grab of 1878: A Territorial Tug-of-War

    While D.C. legislators bickered over the Northern Pacific Railroad's land grants and portage routes, Washington Territory settlers fought to secure their homestead rights against corporate expansion.

    Apr 10, 1878The Northern StarKalama, Cowlitz CountyFollow the Money

11. Twelve Miles Down, Twelve to Go: Seattle Bets on a Railroad to the Coal Fields

    Stockholders reorganized the Seattle and Walla Walla road, re-elected their officers, and then turned on the subscribers who have not paid their bonds — because twenty-four miles of track would open the Cedar River coal and the valley's bottom land.

    Nov 4, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

12. The Promised Land on the Sound

    A speculative real estate pitch from 1880s Snohomish invites settlers to a 'colony' on the river, promising prime marshland and a booming industrial future.

    Sep 21, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

13. The Promised Land on the La Grande Marsh

    Developers in the late 19th century marketed Snohomish's tide lands and marshy acreage as prime agricultural real estate, promising fertile soil and easy access to market.

    Oct 12, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

14. The Promised Land of Mukilteo

    Developers pitch a vision of 'valuable' homesteads and marshland ranches to settlers, promising a life of agriculture and industry on the shores of the Sound.

    Sep 1, 1878The Northern StarMukilteo, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

15. The Great Ditch: How Snohomish Settlers Tamed the Marsh

    Before the land was dry, a few determined pioneers took shovels and grit to the wetlands behind Snohomish to carve a new path for trade and transit.

    Feb 6, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

16. The Mukilteo Colony Dream

    Promoters pitched a 32-tract 'colony' in Mukilteo as a perfect, self-sustaining opportunity for families to own land and work the Sound, promising everything from shipbuilding to fertile marshland farming.

    Oct 5, 1878The Northern StarMukilteo, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

17. The Price of Print: A 1878 Tariff Battle

    A century and a half ago, Snohomish printers were already navigating the tension between protecting home industry and the rising costs of doing business.

    Mar 13, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

18. The Riverboat Captain Who Was Everyone’s Personal Errands Boy

    Before the age of reliable logistics, the Snohomish riverboat captain was the community’s unofficial delivery service, tasked with everything from baby shoes to engine parts.

    Sep 29, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

19. The Empire of the Sun: How a New Hotel in Seattle Will Define the Territory

    A glimpse into the ambitious construction of the new British Hotel, signaling Seattle's rapid growth and confidence as a territorial capital.

    Jun 17, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

20. The First Poet of Snohomish: A Captain’s Verse and a Hotelier’s Blunder

    A retrospective on the town's earliest settlers reveals that E. I. Tucker wasn't just a steamboat engineer—he was also its first literary figure, while his father’s linguistic mishaps provide a glimpse into the colorful social life of the era.

    Mar 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyLocal Legends

21. 1876 Snohomish Court Targets Indigenous Gatherings and Brothels

    In March 1876, Judge Lewis charged the first Snohomish County District Court grand jury to address public nuisances, including Indigenous gatherings and brothels, while also holding county officials accountable for fee books.

    Mar 25, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyExclusion & Resistance · Nightlife

22. The Loggers Who Built a Town: How an Indian Settlement Thrived on the Banks of Port Discovery

    While Snohomish debated its own agricultural future, a thriving community of Indigenous farmers and loggers was quietly building a prosperous life in Dungeness, complete with schools, hotels, and dairy herds.

    Apr 28, 1877The Northern StarSequim, Clallam CountyBoom & Bust

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