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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 7 |
| 1877 | 6 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 5 |
25 stories
- A Critique of Preachers' Neglect of Practical Reform
A biting editorial calls out local clergy for focusing on the 'unknown future' while ignoring the immediate sanitary crises, poverty, and vice plaguing the streets of Seattle.
- The Great Political Tickling: How Daniel Bugley Outwitted Seattle’s Beriah Brown
A fiery editorial in the *Snohomish Sun* exposes a political alliance between two rival editors, accusing them of using religious fervor as a cover for partisan maneuvering.
- A Father’s Gun, A Mother’s Heart, and a Daughter’s Paralysis: The White River Tragedy
When a father tried to stop his daughter's elopement with a shotgun, the resulting chaos killed her mother and left the bride paralyzed. A local paper reports on the 'terrible tragedy' that ruined an entire family in moments.
- The Seattle Tax Trap: How the City Council Tried to Force You to Pay for Sidewalks
A Snohomish resident learns that Washington's territorial legislature lacks the power to create municipalities like Seattle—and whether your city can legally bill you for street improvements.
- The Seattle Fire That Almost Burned the Town
An incendiary blaze at the old Coffee and Elbow Saloon nearly consumed downtown Seattle in a narrow escape that left hundreds of men standing by with buckets.
- The Postal War: How Snohomish’s Star Exposed Seattle’s Corrupt Postmaster
In June 1877, the editor of the *Snohomish Star* launched a blistering public attack on the Seattle post office, alleging that political cronyism and negligence were deliberately delaying his paper to protect local rivals.
- The Unseen Agriculture of the Duwamish Valley
A survey of the productive farmland, nascent dairy industry, and pioneering spirit of the families turning the Duwamish and White River riverbanks into a breadbasket for Seattle.
- Burglar Nabbed After Jewelry Store Heist
A bold thief who robbed a jewelry store of $400 in goods was apprehended in Seattle after a sharp-eyed witness spotted him breaking the glass.
- The Clerk vs. The Judge: A Battle Over Legal Authority
When a clerk in the Third Judicial District overstepped his bounds, a Chief Justice used the case of James Steel to affirm that only a judge possesses the power to declare the law.
- 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.
- The Victorian Era's Original 'Manosphere' Rant
A satirical lecture from 1879 captures the era's obsession with policing women's appearances and the absurdity of 'social performance' in the Pacific Northwest.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Price of Incompetence in 1879
When an American warship finally steamed into Puget Sound, it didn't just bring firepower—it exposed the community's deep-seated anxiety about whether the U.S. government had abandoned the Pacific Northwest entirely.
- The Great Sheep War: Seattle’s Political Flocks and the Independent Goats
A satirical letter to the editor uses a bizarre allegory of sheep herds and wild goats to critique Seattle's political parties, corporate wolves, and the emerging independence of women in public life.
- The Price of a Company Town
Economic instability ripples through Seattle and the Washington Territory as unpaid miners force merchants to tighten their belts.
- The Exclusionist Policies of the American House
A Seattle boarding house advertises a 'No Chinese Employed' policy, reflecting the volatile labor and racial tensions of the 19th-century Pacific Northwest.
- The Temperance House: A Traveler's Refuge on Second Street
For the weary visitor to 1870s Seattle, a newly constructed boarding house promises 'neatness and dispatch' with a touch of European hospitality.
- The Great Depression of the 1870s Hits Snohomish
Facing a glut of goods and a collapsing market, local merchants slash prices and scramble to entice struggling settlers.
- The American House: A Seattle Lodging Haven in 1879
Before the city became a tech hub, the American House offered travelers and workers a reliable place to stay, promising fair rates and the promise of no Chinese labor.
- The Hustle of the Territorial Frontier
A glimpse into the 19th-century mail-order economy, where ambitious merchants sought to capitalize on the labor and curiosity of working-class families across the Pacific Northwest.
- The Pioneer Variety Store: A Snapshot of Commerce in Early Seattle
Before the age of big-box retailers, local general stores like T. P. Freeman’s served as the essential hubs for hardware, furniture, and household needs on the frontier.
- The Great Price War of 1878
A Seattle mercantile firm attempts to win over Snohomish customers by slashing prices in the face of local competition.
- The Workingman’s Haven in Old Seattle
A look back at the 'American House' boarding operation, offering weekly room and board at the edge of the Seattle waterfront.
- 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.