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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1899 | 26 |
26 stories matching begin
- The Convention City: Seattle Hosts Five Major Organizations in One Week
From the Women's Club Federation to the Sons of Veterans, the capital of Washington Territory is buzzing with civic energy as delegates flood downtown hotels and halls.
- Seattle Braces for the T.P.S.C.V. Convention: A City of 150,000 Guests
As delegates from across the West begin to arrive, local committees scramble to house and feed a massive influx of visitors for the upcoming Temperance convention.
- Death Reared Its Horrid Head: Steam Heater Explosion Kills Two Men in Downtown Seattle
A careless Japanese fireman left a boiler unattended at Second and Washington, causing a catastrophic explosion that killed one man instantly and mortally wounded another.
- The $12.50 Gold Rush: How a Railroad Rate War Flooded Seattle with Hope and Skepticism
As Canadian Pacific slashes fares to half the price of American lines, local merchants debate whether the coming wave of homeseekers will build the city or break it.
- The Day Seattle’s Subscribers Hauled Their Newspaper Office to Safety
When a fire threatened the Seattle Star building in Pioneer Square, loyal patrons didn't just call the fire department—they grabbed chains and ropes to physically tow the structure away from the flames.
- The Shingle Men’s Strike: How Local Manufacturers Tried to Crush a Union Before It Began
In May 1898, Seattle’s shingle mill owners gathered in the Chamber of Commerce to unanimously vote for a two-week shutdown and set fixed prices, effectively declaring war on labor organization.
- The Battle for Ravenna Park: When Seattle’s Elite Tried to Buy Out the Public
In May 1899, a private park association posted trespassing warnings and threatened legal action against streetcar passengers, sparking a fierce public debate over whether Seattle’s green spaces belonged to the people or their wealthy owners.
- The Great Cedar Shingle Cartel: How Washington’s Mill Owners Colluded to Halt Production
In a bold move to stabilize collapsing prices, nearly all of the state's 141 cedar shingle mills agreed to shut down for two weeks, forming an association to enforce quality standards and living wages.
- Seattle’s Legal Education Begins: Board Votes to Establish Law Department
In a decisive move at the University of Washington, regents approve the creation of a law school, marking a pivotal step in the institution's academic maturity.
- The Monument to the Fallen: Olympia’s Call to Honor Washington’s War Dead
A committee of eleven civic leaders has launched a campaign to erect a permanent memorial at the state capital for the volunteers who died in the Spanish-American and Philippine wars, arguing that their sacrifice demands an enduring tribute.
- The Great Butter Fraud: Seattle’s First Taste of Food Safety
A local grocer is fined for selling imitation butter, while city inspectors uncover a wave of adulterated vinegar and baking powder in retail stores.
- The Gold Rush That Never Was: Seattle’s First Wave of Klondike Dreamers
As the first steamers arrive from the Yukon with empty hands and full cargo holds, Seattleites prepare to follow them north, unaware that the gold rush is already over.
- The 'Opium Bribe' Scandal That Wasn't
A sensationalized investigation into Seattle police corruption collapses as the city council realizes the accusations were entirely fabricated.
- The Great Pigeon Whiskey Heist
A Seattle police officer's bungled attempt to intoxicate local church pigeons ends in his own humiliation.
- The Brick and the Ballot: Wenatchee’s Fight for County Status
As the legislature carves out a new county from Chelan and Kittitas territories, local developers donate a brick courthouse to secure the seat of power in a town on the rise.
- The Horseless City
Seattle businessmen begin the race to bring the 'new motor machines' to the city's steep streets.
- The Porcupine Rush: How an Indian Map Led Seattle Men to Gold
A group of home seekers departed Seattle for the Yukon, armed with a hand-drawn map provided by an Indigenous guide who claimed the region was rich in gold.
- The Queen Anne Streetcar Expansion
A new proposal for an electric street railway promises to connect Queen Anne Hill to the army post and Woodland Park, fueling local transit ambitions.
- Seattle’s Legal Housekeeping: The City Council Decides to Clean Up Its Own Act
In 1899, Seattle’s leaders admitted their laws were a mess and hired two experts to fix it—proving that bureaucratic confusion is an old problem.
- The Policeman, the Whiskey, and the Sober Pigeons
A Seattle officer's attempt to trap church-dwelling pigeons using liquor-soaked corn ended in a hilariously humiliating failure when the birds refused to lose their composure.
- The Day Seattle’s Saloons Went Dry
Facing a sudden crackdown from the Chief of Police, Seattle’s tavern culture was forced to lock its doors tight every Sunday.
- Seattle Prepares for a Fourth of July That Will 'Put in the Shade' All Previous Celebrations
As the nation celebrates its birthday, Seattle’s civic leaders are rallying to create a spectacle of unprecedented scale, aiming to transform the young city into a beacon of American pride.
- The Battle for the Transport Outfits
A scramble between Seattle and Tacoma merchants for the lucrative business of supplying the government transport vessel 'Albert' reveals the early friction of regional economic rivalry.
- The High Stakes of Seattle Tennis
Athletes from across the Pacific Northwest descend on Seattle for a high-tension tournament, as the city gears up to host the regional championships.
- The Rent Trap: Why Seattle's Business District Is Running Out of Room
As the city booms post-fire, merchants find themselves priced out of First Avenue, forced to migrate up Third and beyond in a desperate search for affordable space.