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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 13 |
| 1889 | 42 |
| 1891 | 11 |
| 1892 | 29 |
| 1893 | 67 |
| 1894 | 61 |
| 1895 | 20 |
243 stories matching delay
- The Mugwump’s Ledger: How Seattle’s Territorial Secretary Gamed the Law Printing Contract
A fierce editorial exposes Secretary Owings for delaying the publication of territorial laws to favor a cronies’ printing bid, while padding the bill with 40 pages of his own party platform.
- Under Fire on the Way to Spokane: Seattle's Militia Rode Into a Rail War
Col. Joseph Green's detachment returns from Spokane after escorting a mutinied company through burned bridges, ambushes and striker country—and the city turns out to cheer.
- The Mail is Broken in Seattle
Citizens and businesses are forced to pay for private clerks because the federal postal service cannot keep up with the city's explosive growth.
- Fifty Shingle Men March Up the Hill—and Back Down Again
Seattle's shingle manufacturers spend a full day fixing prices, then panic and rescind the whole scheme in the final five minutes.
- Seattle's Public Library Dreams Put on Hold
After clearing the site of previous tenants, city officials stall on the construction of a new permanent home for the public library, leaving the project in limbo.
- Railroad Mishap at Martin's Mill
Three track workers jump to safety as a delayed passenger train smashes their section car at a blind curve.
- Puyallup Tribe Demands Accountability
A committee of twelve Puyallup tribal leaders issued an ultimatum to land commissioners they claim are avoiding open discussion of reservation rights.
- The Bold Plan to Build the Lake Washington Canal
Facing gridlock in Congress, Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce pushed a local bill to authorize the county to construct the canal itself, aiming to transform the city into the 'first city on the Pacific coast.'
- The Struggle for the Speaker’s Gavel
Legislative chaos in Olympia as Republicans deadlock over the speakership, threatening to delay the inauguration of the new state government.
- When the Water Came Up to the Post Office: Floods Cut Seattle’s Rail and Mail Lines
Spring freshets submerged low streets, stalled Great Northern and Northern Pacific trains, and left Seattle business houses waiting days for mail.
- The Man Who Stopped the Train
A landowner takes matters into his own hands by tearing up railroad tracks after failing to receive payment for his property.
- The Great Bail Bond Fiasco
Two swindlers arrested on a Puget Sound steamer have vanished after a two-year legal delay, leaving the state helpless to punish them.
- The Great Washington Delay: How Congress Stalled Statehood for a Political Game
In January 1889, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an 'Omnibus Bill' to admit four territories as states, but fierce partisan fighting over Dakota and Montana left Washington Territory in limbo—delaying its entry into the Union by nearly two years.
- The Great Car Tax: How a Treasury Order Threatened Seattle’s Rail Lifeline
A new federal duty on foreign railroad cars threatens to strangle trade between the Pacific Northwest and the East, sparking fears of economic isolation for Washington Territory.
- The Railway War for Puget Sound
As transcontinental railroad giants maneuver for control of Seattle’s shipping, a fierce corporate battle promises to reshape the city’s economic future.
- A Million Dollars Secured for the Lake Washington Canal
David E. Durie returns from the East with financing for the tide flats waterway and ship canal, contingent on right-of-way and lock guarantees.
- The Bottleneck at the Port of Tacoma
While Seattle’s docks are praised for their 'prompt' efficiency, the port of Tacoma is suffering from a two-month delay in cargo loading, frustrating ship masters and hurting the regional economy.
- The Battle Over the Stillaguamish River
Captains of steamers, long delayed by the Chinook Boom Company's gates, finally force federal intervention.
- The Captain Who Slipped the Marshal
A crew-hiring dispute lands a ship's master in irons in Port Townsend—until a death and a distracted guard give him a clear path to the sea.
- Twenty Inches of Snow Bring Seattle to a Standstill
A February 1893 blizzard blocks streetcars, freezes water pipes and threatens a coal famine, forcing schools to close and residents to melt snow for drinking water.
- The Unintended Cost of a Building Delay
A construction dispute over the Gottstein Building leads to a rare courtroom victory for the defendants against a major contractor.
- The Freight Bottleneck on the Waterfront
Local merchants clash with the Pacific Coast Steamship Company over the delayed delivery of perishable goods.
- The Dead Horses That Taught Tacoma How to Raise Sunken Ships
A Tacoma patent company says its collapsible air bags can lift wrecks from the sea floor—a trick supposedly inspired by a bloated boatload of horses in the Ohio River. Investors are already fighting over the fortune.
- The Day the Mountains Slid into the Tracks
A massive landslide near Palmer paralyzed Northern Pacific rail traffic, forcing stranded passengers to walk between trains.
- The Surveyor’s Stalling Tactic
King County officials struggle to remove a surveyor accused of administrative misconduct as he leverages legal loopholes to keep his job.