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1. The Forgotten Bid for Washington Suffrage

   While the 1878 proposed state constitution for Washington Territory was largely a blueprint for governance, it contained radical separate articles granting women the right to vote and hold office long before the 19th Amendment.

   Sep 28, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

2. The President's Vision for Reconstruction

   In an era of deep national division, President Rutherford B. Hayes addresses Congress on the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, the restoration of civil order, and his hope for the rights of the newly emancipated.

   Dec 22, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

3. Preparing for the Territorial Vote

   Governor Elisha P. Ferry issues a formal proclamation for the November 1876 general election, including a critical vote on whether to draft a new State Constitution.

   Oct 21, 1876The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

4. The Intellectual Meritocracy of the East

   In an era of intense anti-Chinese sentiment in the West, a Snohomish lecturer finds a startling, counter-intuitive argument for the superiority of Chinese governance: a rigorous, education-based civil service.

   Dec 8, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

5. The Foundation of Washington State’s Civil Liberties

   A look back at the original constitutional guarantees of free speech, property rights, and due process that shaped early Snohomish and the state.

   Aug 24, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

6. When Washington Voters First Weighed Statehood

   In 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued a formal proclamation calling for a territory-wide vote on the proposed state constitution and the future of regional representation.

   Oct 5, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

7. The Call for a State Constitutional Convention

   In 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued an official proclamation calling for a special election to select delegates for a convention to draft a state constitution for Washington.

   Mar 13, 1878The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

8. The Price of a Leg: How Snohomish Neighbors Funded a Stranger’s Recovery

   In the spring of 1877, when a man named Samuel Smallman lost his limb, the community didn't just offer sympathy—they pooled their cash to buy him a state-of-the-art prosthetic from Philadelphia.

   May 12, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

9. The Snohomish Afterlife: A Spiritualist Joke

   In an 1878 newspaper, a medium's séance takes a darkly humorous turn when a grieving widow asks her late husband if he is in heaven.

   May 1, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

10. The Great Snohomish Desertion: A Husband Left Penniless by His Wife’s Flight

    In a scandal that gripped the small river town in early 1877, a man returned from a logging trip to find his wife had vanished with their cash, leaving him stranded and destitute.

    Jan 20, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

11. The Constitutional Crisis of 1878

    Before Washington was a state, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued a desperate call for a convention to define its future.

    Mar 6, 1878The Northern StarWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

12. The Great Grasshopper Panic: Why Washington Farmers Are Bracing for a Locust Apocalypse

    Professor Riley predicts an unprecedented crop of grasshoppers across the Northwest and beyond, urging immediate preparation as eggs hatch in offices from Minnesota to Missouri.

    Feb 10, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

13. The Territory's Failed Constitutional Bid

    In a formal proclamation, Governor Elisha P. Ferry officially declared the rejection of a proposed state constitution and its supplemental articles by the voters of the Washington Territory.

    Feb 8, 1879The Northern StarOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

14. The Snohomish Valley’s First Great Showcase

    In 1877, Snohomish County debuted its first agricultural fair, a high-stakes effort to prove the region’s soil and industry could rival the rest of the Territory.

    Sep 29, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

15. 1878 Timber Land Act Opens 160-Acre Sales

    A new federal law promises to open up public forests in Washington Territory to private ownership, setting the stage for decades of industrial exploitation.

    Aug 17, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

16. Falling Log Crushes Andrew Gullen's Leg on the River

    A tragic accident on the Snohomish River leaves a young logger struggling for survival, highlighting the brutal toll of frontier labor.

    Jan 25, 1879The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

17. The Struggle for a Snohomish Homestead

    A legal notice reveals the bureaucratic hurdles pioneers faced to prove their claim to the Snohomish river valley.

    Nov 3, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

18. The Fowler Ranch Rental

    A prime piece of Snohomish riverfront property hits the rental market, offering a glimpse into the agricultural economy of the 1870s.

    Dec 15, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyHousing & Rent

19. The passing of a pioneer sheriff

    Edwin T. Dodge, a veteran of the California gold rush and early lawman who helped dismantle legendary highwayman gangs, has died at the Occidental Hotel.

    Oct 28, 1876The Northern StarSwinomish, Skagit County

20. The Railroad's Land Grab: How Northern Pacific Hoarded Snohomish’s Future

    A local resident exposes the legal loopholes allowing the railroad to retain millions of acres in Western Washington, arguing that this concentrated ownership is strangling settlement and keeping land prices artificially high.

    Apr 28, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

21. The Unwinding of a Snohomish Logging Partnership

    A rare, stark public record of a dissolved logging venture in Snohomish County, marking the end of a business relationship between two local frontiersmen.

    Jun 19, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

22. The Moral Gatekeeper: Snohomish’s New Battle Over Who Gets to Sell Liquor

    A new state law requires liquor license applicants to prove 'good moral character,' turning county commissioners into judges of private virtue and sparking a fierce debate over who gets to define morality in the Territory.

    Feb 12, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

23. The Grocer’s Promise: Delivering Freshness in Early Snohomish

    Before the age of supermarket chains, local merchants like J.H. Hilton built community commerce with free delivery and specialized goods on Union Avenue.

    Apr 10, 1878The Northern StarUnion Avenue, Snohomish, Snohomish County

24. The Valley Bounces Back: Lumber Market Sees Recovery

    After months of costly litigation and economic stagnation, rising log prices signal a return to prosperity for the Snohomish Valley.

    Nov 24, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

25. Puget Sound's Salmon Industry Still Dependent on Out-of-State Supplies

    While Washington's salmon industry continues to grow, it relies heavily on Portland for barrels and packaging materials.

    Dec 15, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

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