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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 9 |
| 1878 | 8 |
| 1879 | 1 |
27 stories matching lower
- The Riverfront Factory Boom
New manufacturing operations along the Snohomish River signal a growing industrial future for the region.
- 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.
- The Town That Rose from the Jam: Mount Vernon’s Wild Start
A new settlement is sprouting along the Skagit River, fueled by loggers, surveyors, and a patriotic name change.
- The Candidates’ Campaign Trail on the Snohomish River
As election season heats up in 1878, candidates for the Territorial Assembly trade speeches in the freezing cold and debate the future of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Man Who Walked Away from Death
Richard Schmalp, a 50-year-old homesteader near Menlo View, survived a terrifying fall that split his skull open, leaving him unconscious for half an hour.
- The Great Skagit Jam: How Local Men Tried to Unplug the River
In 1876, a massive logjam blocked the Skagit River for miles. While officials debated expensive dredging projects, local loggers took matters into their own hands with picks and dynamite.
- The Great Ice Blockade of the Snohomish River
A historic winter freeze has choked the river with ice, threatening the timber industry and commerce in the early days of Snohomish.
- The Jam That Stalled a Territory: How Local Men Tried to Clear the Skagit River
In 1876, Snohomish residents rallied to fund the removal of massive log jams blocking the Skagit River, arguing that clearing the waterway was essential for settling the vast timber-rich lands of Washington Territory.
- The Log Jam That Held Back the Skagit
Settlers bet their savings on cutting a channel through a massive timber jam—and begged Sound steamboat captains to link the Skagit to Seattle.
- The Case for Statehood and Scientific Farming
In an 1876 address to local farmers, W.M.T. McNeill argues that Washington Territory's path to prosperity lies in statehood, agricultural colleges, and the modernization of rural industry.
- The Land Grabbers of Snohomish: How Loggers Hoarded Tide Marshes
A local editorial exposes the speculative tactics of transient loggers who are buying up fertile river bottomlands for quick profit, leaving the valley's agricultural potential in limbo.
- The Invisible Milky Way in a Glass of Wine
A scientific lecture from 1878 explores the 'vital ether' and the microscopic life forces that drive fermentation.
- The Great Snohomish County Fair of 1877
A town rally for local pride and agricultural ambition, as Snohomish citizens prepare to showcase the best of the valley’s soil and handiwork.
- The Engineer Who Tamed the Tides: Col. Wilson’s Blueprint for Snohomish’s Future
A master engineer presents a radical plan to dredge the Columbia and Willamette rivers, promising to unlock Seattle's potential by reshaping the very geography of the Pacific Northwest.
- Pioneering the Skagit River Frontier
As the formidable log jam on the Skagit River begins to break, early settlers recount the hardships of establishing permanent homes in the wild, mud-soaked territory of 1878.
- The Marsh That Could Feed a City: Snohomish’s Hidden Goldmine
A detailed survey of the vast wetlands between Snohomish and the Skykomish River reveals thousands of acres of fertile land, drained by new ditches and accessible by scow, waiting for developers to turn swamp into wealth.
- The Boom Town on the Skagit
As La Conner transformed into a bustling grain-shipping hub, new docks and storefronts sprouted along the Swinomish Slough to accommodate the region's agricultural explosion.
- The Seattle Hotel That Won Over Snohomish Shoppers
A historic hotel and mercantile shop on the Sound becomes the preferred destination for Snohomish County residents seeking quality goods and fair dealing.
- The Governor’s Visit and the Militia’s March: July 1877 in Snohomish
Governor Perry addresses a rapt crowd on Independence Day, while local men scramble to organize volunteer companies for the Nez Perce War.
- Judge Lewis Seeks Revocation of Snohomish Liquor Licenses
After a grand jury report, Judge Lewis urged revoking liquor licenses from tavern owners operating brothels and corrupt establishments in Snohomish.
- The Brutal Labor of Clearing the Snohomish River
For over two years, crews braved the most dangerous and grueling work in the territory to clear the river for navigation, battling everything from treacherous snags to a lack of promised payment.
- The Hard-Won Coal of Wilkeson
A persistent mining operation in Wilkeson struggles with geological faults and shifting veins to keep the fuel moving toward the Puget Sound.
- The Long Walk Home: A Traveler’s Ordeal on the Skagit River
In April 1876, a visitor to Snohomish County recounts a grueling journey through mud, tides, and broken steamers, highlighting the isolation of early Washington settlements.
- Into the Black: A Descent into Bellingham Bay Coal Mines
An intrepid traveler documents the perilous journey down an 800-foot incline to explore the workings of the Bellingham Bay Coal Company in the late 19th century.
- The Last Voyage of Arthur Phinney: A Fleet of Steamers Bids Farewell to a Pioneer
In June 1877, the death of Port Ludlow founder Arthur Phinney triggered an unprecedented maritime funeral procession on Puget Sound, uniting rival steamship lines and hundreds of mourners in a tribute to a man who championed labor and community.