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1. The Million-Shingle Miracle: How Snohomish River Steamers Defied the Odds

   In a stunning display of industrial might, the steamer Yakima loaded 106,000 shingles in a single day, helping to push the river's winter yield toward one million—a feat that put Snohomish at the center of the global timber trade.

   Feb 24, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

2. The Lost Ledge That Paid in Quicksilver

   A remote mining claim north of Snohomish has turned out to be a bonanza for silver and mercury, drawing capital from across the state.

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. The Great Log Boom Break at Ebey Slough

   A river disaster threatens the livelihoods of local loggers as timber worth thousands breaks free from the Snohomish County river system.

   Oct 26, 1878The Northern StarEbey Slough, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

6. The New Life of the Black Diamond

   A Snohomish captain purchases a small steamer to ply the rivers of the Sound, reviving a vessel from his past.

   Sep 9, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. The Great Timber Sell-Off

    Thousands of acres of Snohomish County wilderness go under the hammer as the estate of Arthur Phinney is liquidated.

    Oct 26, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

11. Taming the Skagit Tide Lands

    Early farmers in the Skagit Valley share sworn affidavits proving the extreme fertility of reclaimed tide lands, boasting of massive grain harvests.

    Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, La Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

12. Turning Marsh into Gold

    Farmers on the Swinomish flats have completed a massive infrastructure project to reclaim thousands of acres of marshland for agriculture.

    Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

13. The Great Land Grab: How Speculators Stole Washington's Public Lands

    A new federal ruling threatens to invalidate thousands of land claims in the Pacific Northwest, exposing innocent buyers to ruin and revealing a system rigged by attorneys and speculators.

    Jun 24, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

14. The Lovers’ Lane of Snohomish

    A newly constructed plank road, intended for industrial timber transit, becomes an unlikely promenade for the town's romantic youth.

    Apr 24, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

15. The Sausage-Maker’s Siege

    A local merchant finds his business—and his family—hounded by a neighborhood rumor mill gone wild.

    Apr 10, 1878The Northern StarMain Street, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyScandal

16. The Sermon of Science in Snohomish

    A local lecture series bridges the gap between theology and natural history, framing evolution not as a conflict with the divine, but as the 'eternal reign of law.'

    Nov 24, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

17. The Dead Man with the Tattoo: A Sailor’s Body Washes Ashore in Snohomish

    Identification of a drowned sailor near Jewett's logging camp reveals a life marked by ink and industry, closing a chapter on the Snohomish River.

    Feb 5, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyTrue Crime

18. The Skagit's Buried Treasure

    A survey of the booming coal prospects near the Skagit River, and the physical toll extracted from the pioneers who first uncovered them.

    Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarSkagit River, Snohomish, Skagit CountyBoom & Bust

19. The Myth of the Transient Worker

    A Snohomish editor argues that young men wandering the river camps for work are missing their chance to claim homesteads before the land is claimed by others.

    Aug 18, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

20. The High Price of Corporate Greed in 1884

    A historic editorial from Snohomish highlights the divide between executive pay and the struggles of the working man.

    Aug 4, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

21. The Snohomish River Logjam: A Dispute Over Private Property and Public Waters

    In 1878, a Grand Jury investigation into local business practices reveals a tense standoff between lumber interests and the community over the obstruction of the Snohomish River.

    Nov 23, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

22. The 1878 Patent for Long-Distance Kissing

    A satirical inventor in Snohomish introduces a bizarre 'kisograph' machine to keep lovers connected across thousands of miles.

    Jun 19, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

23. The Bold Vision for Snohomish’s 'River Fruit'

    How local developers aimed to transform thousands of acres of Snohomish river bottomland into a thriving orchard paradise.

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

24. Legal Ruling Defines Validity of Real Estate Leases

    A court case in Port Townsend clarifies the strict requirements for property leases, warning landowners that failing to notarize agreements can lead to disastrous litigation.

    Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyHousing & Rent

25. The Monopoly That Almost Killed the Nooksack

    Before the valley flourished, settlers fought to break the stranglehold of absentee speculators and corporate monopolies that kept the river choked with logs and local trade shackled.

    Jun 12, 1878The Northern StarBellingham, Whatcom CountyFollow the Money

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