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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 32 |
| 1889 | 80 |
| 1891 | 41 |
| 1892 | 166 |
| 1893 | 149 |
| 1894 | 164 |
| 1895 | 277 |
909 stories matching close
- Seattle Police Force Illegal Gambling Dens to Close
After weeks of unchecked operation, Chief of Police Jackson issues a stern ultimatum to local gambling houses under threat of force.
- The Minister and the Saloonkeepers
A traveling revivalist successfully riles up the town of Renton, resulting in the first Sunday-closing arrests in three years.
- The Eight-Hour Push: Seattle Hardware Stores Lead the Way
Local hardware merchants agree to close at 6 p.m. to grant employees the 'benefit of the long summer evenings' for rest and recreation.
- A Farmer Dams a Ditch, and Neighbors Build a Dike
In the town of Tolt, a landowner’s waterway blockade turns into a muddy standoff, with farmers throwing up dikes to keep their fields from flooding.
- The Board of Health Weighed Closing Every School in Seattle
Scarlet fever was moving through the city's classrooms in May 1895, and the men who ran public health argued over whether to send thousands of children home for six weeks — and whether parents could be trusted to report the sickness at all.
- Seattle's Schools Stay Open While Two Boards Square Off Over Scarlet Fever
When the Board of Health ordered South and Rainier schools closed during a scarlet fever scare, the school board filed the order and refused to shut the doors.
- Seattle’s First Battle for a Long Weekend
In 1889, Seattle’s hardware merchants pioneered a movement to close shops early on summer evenings to give workers time for leisure and self-improvement.
- The Battle for the Six O'Clock Closing
A group of shoe clerks win a legal victory against their employer after being arrested for protesting late-night store hours.
- The Battle for the Sabbath
Tacoma sees its first-ever Sunday theatrical performance, inciting an immediate protest from the city's Ministerial Alliance.
- The Midnight Saloon Bill Fails in Olympia
Washington state legislators reject a proposal to force saloons to close at midnight, with some arguing that patrons should be allowed to stay warm by the fire.
- The Saloon Keepers' New Political Machine
Facing a midnight closing law and new regulatory costs, Seattle’s tavern owners band together to secure their influence at City Hall.
- A Financial Collapse on Front Street
The closure of Thomas Cleary’s long-established dry goods house shocks the local business community amidst economic uncertainty.
- The 1888 Crusade Against '13-Hour Days' in Seattle
When local shopkeepers refused to close their doors at 8 p.m., the Clerks' Union launched a public campaign to boycott the stores that kept their workers trapped in a cycle of exhausting, long-hour shifts.
- The Bankruptcy Fire Sale of 1891
A failed clothing enterprise on the corner of 2nd and Washington puts its remaining stock under the gavel as the assignee clears the shelves.
- Shelton’s Shuttered Bank Promises to Pay Every Depositor in Full
After the sheriff closed the Bank of Shelton, its president bought out the cashier and announced a $20,000 reorganization.
- A Bank Failed With $25,975 of City Money Inside. Who Pays?
When the North End Bank closed its doors in September, the city's deposits closed with it. Ex-Treasurer Adolph Krug's guarantors made Seattle whole — and now they want the bank's assets and the city's claim to go with it.
- Shingle Weavers Choose Shutdown Over Pay Cuts
Workers in Tacoma and the Puget Sound area reject a proposed 25 percent wage reduction, preferring to see mills close entirely.
- Banking Crisis Hits Puyallup
The Bank of Puyallup closes its doors due to over-extension on agricultural crop loans.
- A Tacoma School Inquiry Ends in a Hallway Brawl
A closed-door investigation at Tacoma High School spills into a physical confrontation between a professor and a Chamber of Commerce committeeman.
- A Vote of No Confidence in Willapa Valley
Frustrated taxpayers in Pacific County take a stand against their own local government, demanding the resignation of the county commissioners.
- The Principal's Secret Bride: A School Closing Reveal in Franklin
Charles Wetherbee introduced his assistant as 'Miss Lathrum'—then told the astonished room she had been Mrs. Wetherbee since Easter.
- The End of the Merchant's Saloon
After months of defiance, a notorious gambling den is shuttered by the Sheriff.
- Skagit County Teachers Demand Pay Equity
At the close of their annual institute, local educators highlight the gender wage gap in the public school system.
- Riot and Revelry at the Capitol
As the legislative session in Olympia concluded, members engaged in a chaotic scramble to loot furniture and equipment from the chambers.
- Public Health Alert: Smallpox in Snohomish and Howe Sound
Health officials attempt to contain outbreaks of smallpox, closing schools and churches to curb the spread of the disease.