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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1899 | 155 |
155 stories matching state
- The Eight-Hour War: Seattle’s Labor Law Hits a Legal Wall
As the state’s landmark eight-hour workday law takes effect, prosecutors and judges clash over whether it applies to private contractors like the Pacific Bridge Company, leaving workers in limbo.
- The Forgotten Soldiers of the First Washington
While other states showered their troops in Manila with home-front support, Washington's volunteers were left to subsist on standard army rations.
- The Color Line at the Oberon: Seattle’s First Civil Rights Test
When a prominent Black minister is ejected from a local music hall for his race, he threatens legal action under state law, sparking a public debate on discrimination in early 20th-century Seattle.
- The Banker Who Built a City: The Death of Joseph R. Hughes
A pioneer hardware merchant and federal land officer dies in Republic, leaving behind a legacy of civic leadership and the founding of the town's first bank.
- 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 Tragedy of the State Asylum
A grim tally of patient deaths at the Washington State asylum sparks questions about the treatment of vulnerable populations committed from King County.
- The Great Northern’s $70,000 Lawsuit: How J.J. Hill’s Empire Clashed with the State
A bitter legal battle erupts between railroad magnate James J. Hill and W.V. Haynes over land rights at Smith Cove, revealing the intense struggle for control of Seattle’s waterfront.
- The Vanishing Steamer: Seattle Waits in Fog for the 'Port Albert'
Passengers and agents grow anxious as the British-American steamer goes missing off the Pacific Northwest coast, sparking fears of a wreck or mechanical failure.
- The Fight for a Living Wage on Seattle's Streetcars
Facing a massive consolidation of rail companies, Seattle transit workers organize to demand a guaranteed minimum wage.
- The Color Line at the Temple: Seattle’s Masonic Order Faces National Backlash
As the Grand Lodge of Washington convenes at the Masonic Temple to debate racial segregation in its ranks, telegrams from across the country reveal a deep national fracture over 'Negro Masonry.'
- 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.
- Tragedy in the Basement on Washington Street
A cook and cannery worker, struggling with isolation and mental illness, was found dead in a basement apartment.
- 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.
- 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.
- God, Politics, and 'The World for Christ' in 1899 Seattle
At the turn of the century, the Christian Endeavor movement filled the Armory to demand political purity and global missions, setting the stage for moral fervor in local governance.
- The 'Top and Bottom' Sting
A traveler is swindled out of his savings by a gang of con artists on a Seattle sidewalk, sparking a city-wide police sweep.
- The Vanishing Agent: Duncan Inverarity’s Flight from Justice
A trusted local savings bank agent absconds with $1,500, leaving Seattle to evade arrest in Victoria.
- The Great Peace Jubilee: Seattle’s Plan to Outshine Washington City
As the capital prepares for a national celebration of peace, Seattle residents are rallying with unprecedented unanimity to host their own magnificent reception for the First Washington Regiment, promising fireworks on Puget Sound and a naval battle reenactment.
- The First Strike Against the Eight-Hour Day
Contractors are already looking for loopholes in the new Washington state labor law, sparking a legal showdown between building firms and the Western Central Labor Union.
- The Girl Who Vanished: A Seattle Mystery of Despair and Deceit
In June 1903, a young woman died under mysterious circumstances near Yesler Way, leaving behind only a few dollars and a card from a Pike Street lodging house. Was she an orphan in distress, or a fraud hiding her past?
- The Million-Dollar Tug-of-War Over Seattle's Waterfront
When two railway titans clashed over the location of a union depot, Seattle's newspapers turned the city's future into a public spectacle of corporate ego and investigative scoops.
- The Janitor Who Was a Cop: How One Man’s Brutal Discipline Was Legalized by Law
In a landmark ruling for school safety and corporal punishment, a Seattle janitor is acquitted of child abuse charges after proving he was sworn in as a special police officer.
- The Nightmare Murder: Tacoma Wife Killed by Husband in Sleep
An inquest reveals that Charles Corey strangled his wife while suffering from a nightmare, sparking debate over whether he was guilty of murder or merely a victim of his own subconscious.
- The Saloon Wars: How Seattle’s Council Killed the Fight to Ban Bars from Residential Streets
In a heated March 1904 council meeting, reformers fought to keep saloons off streets where wives and children walked. The measure failed, revealing deep corruption and the powerful grip of liquor interests on city government.
- The City's Indecent Ambulance
A delayed ambulance and a harrowing scene on the city streets reveal the crumbling state of Seattle's emergency services in 1899.