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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1899 | 35 |
35 stories matching ground
- The Great Walkout: Soldiers Protest 'Pauperizing' Rules at Seattle Home
Sixty men leave the city's soldiers' home in a mass exodus, citing degrading permit requirements and harsh governance by Col. Leslie.
- The False Alarm That Struck Fear in a Seattle Neighborhood
A frame building caught fire at the corner of 31st Avenue and Cherry Street, sparking fears that victims were trapped inside.
- A Midnight Mystery at the Tacoma Opera House
A man is discovered near death with a broken neck in front of the theater, leaving police with nothing but a frantic, garbled message.
- The City’s Welcome Wagon: Seattle Prepares a Grand Ovation for the 'Washington Boys' Returning from Manila
As the Philippine-American War drags on, local officials, school superintendents, and citizens rally to raise funds for a massive parade and fireworks display to honor the First Washington Volunteer Regiment.
- 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 Daffodils Rise: Seattle’s Spring Awakening
As the severe winter finally breaks, gardeners and housewives alike rush to reclaim their yards from the frost, marking a collective seasonal shift in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Man Who Borrowed $500 to Chase Gold
William Jensen returns from the Klondike with nothing but 60 cents and a story of survival, proving that in the Yukon, credit is worth more than gold.
- The Horseless Age Arrives in Seattle
As public interest in motor vehicles sweeps the nation, Seattle’s streets begin to transition from hooves to horsepower.
- The Boy Who Stole Gold Nuggets and Slept with Dogs
Eight-year-old Harold Hubbard burglarized a Seattle home, hid his loot under the sidewalk, and spent the night in a dog show—only to confess the next day.
- The Queen City’s Reputation Problem
A visiting soap manufacturer discovers that while rival cities like Portland and San Francisco love to trash-talk Seattle, the reality on the ground is far more impressive.
- The Fire Fiend Stalks Seattle's Waterfront
A witness spots a mysterious arsonist fleeing the Western Mill in a rowboat, stoking fears of a serial firebug terrorizing the city's timber industry.
- The Birth of the Seattle Stock Exchange
Promoters establish a new financial hub on the corner of First and Spring, promising a 'pure' exchange for the benefit of the city rather than the few.
- The Ice That Crushed a Man: A Frightful Death on White Pass
Louis Wrick was clearing ice near the summit of the White Pass when a massive block gave way, pinning him beneath tons of frozen weight. Another worker survived; Wrick did not.
- The Midnight Mystery of Alki Park
A recent arrival to Seattle is left wounded in the dark after an unseen assailant fires twice into his hand during a walk through the woods.
- The Great Tacoma Brake-Man Mystery: Was It a Brutal Assault or a Tragic Accident?
Railroad officials and witnesses in Tacoma are debunking the claim that brakeman Cook was beaten by a robber, pointing to a bridge strike as the likely cause of his skull fracture.
- The Last Laugh of Charles Nordstrom
As the Seattle Star reports on May 15, 1899, condemned murderer Charles Nordstrom sits in his cell, seemingly indifferent to the death warrant signed that morning. While the legal machinery grinds toward his execution for the murder of a police officer, one man’s sarcastic smile and contemptuous silence speak louder than any final prayer.
- The Architects' Cry: Why Building a Home in Seattle Just Got Expensive
Local builders and designers report that material costs have skyrocketed, making it impossible to price new construction accurately as the city expands.
- The False Gold of 'Swiftwater' Bill
A legendary Klondike miner, once a symbol of immense wealth, is revealed to be a 'broken man' after a public charade of riches in the American West.
- The Seattle Star's 'Inklings': A Glimpse into 1906 Courtroom Drama and Civic Life
From a bitter divorce trial involving accusations of insanity to the arrest of nineteen men selling whisky to Native Americans, this page captures the gritty, colorful daily life of Seattle in April 1906.
- The Bear That Wasn't: Seattle’s War Department Scandal
A federal court of inquiry clears the city of corruption but exposes a bizarre military blunder involving refrigerated beef and embalmed meat during the Spanish-American War.
- The Day Smallpox Walked the Streets: How One Man’s Ignorance Sparked Spokane’s Deadliest Epidemic
A drunk man wandering through downtown Spokane with a rash on his face nearly triggered a disaster that killed hundreds—until a sharp-eyed pharmacist stepped in.
- The Hello Girls of Seattle: Inside the City’s First Telephone Exchange
A rare architectural tour reveals the inner workings of the new Bell Building on Third Avenue, where thirty young women manage the city's voice network through a complex web of wires and switchboards.
- The University’s War Debt: Professors Demand a Hero’s Welcome for Seattle’s Own
As the First Washington Volunteers prepare to return from the Philippines, faculty and civic leaders unite to plan a massive reception, highlighting the deep ties between the university and the regiment.
- The Mill That Never Was: How Chicago Capitalists Tried to Buy Seattle’s Soul
In June 1899, Theo. Ludgate arrived in town promising 800 jobs and a massive milling enterprise. Instead, he sparked a legal battle over land leases and vanished back east, leaving behind only the ghost of an industrial boom.
- 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.