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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 16 |
| 1889 | 34 |
| 1891 | 11 |
| 1892 | 46 |
| 1893 | 55 |
| 1894 | 25 |
| 1895 | 3 |
190 stories matching highlight
- The Battle for the Territory’s Capital
A scrappy, promotional rivalry between Ellensburg and North Yakima to become the official seat of government for Washington Territory.
- Industrial Explosion at Port Gamble Mill
A boiler rupture at the Kitsap County lumber mill leaves an engineer severely scalded, highlighting the physical dangers of the region's dominant timber industry.
- The Seattle Milk Scandal of 1891
A police investigation in Helena, Montana, leads back to a Seattle man selling a recipe for 'manufactured' milk, highlighting the early days of consumer food fraud.
- A Tragic End in the Winlock Mud
A lonely death on a ranch near Winlock highlights the brutal reality for those suffering from epilepsy in 1890s Washington.
- J.C. Mills Lost in the Swollen Columbia
A man disappears into a whirlpool near Bridgeport, highlighting the treacherous nature of the river during high water.
- Coal Fall Paralyzes Wilkeson Mine Loader Thomas Smith
A coal mine loader suffers a devastating, life-altering injury on the job, highlighting the brutal risks faced by labor in late 19th-century Washington.
- The Slow Pace of Chinese Registration
A local official reports back to Seattle after an unsuccessful attempt to register Chinese residents, highlighting the tensions surrounding the Chinese Exclusion Act.
- The Price of a Hand: A Labor Settlement in Port Townsend
A longshoreman injured while unloading cargo from the steamship Walla Walla receives a court-ordered settlement, highlighting the physical dangers of 19th-century maritime work.
- The Perilous Midnight Fall into the Seattle Dark
A yard master’s narrow brush with death on a rainy night highlights the hidden dangers of Seattle’s rapidly expanding rail infrastructure.
- The Price of a Seattle Landmark: A $7,500 Real Estate Snapshot from 1889
A choice residence property, recently spared by the Great Seattle Fire, highlights the rapid commercial real estate churn in the city’s post-conflagration recovery.
- The Trial of William Holmes
A trial begins in the shooting death of a miner in Franklin, with insanity cited as the defense.
- Tragedy at the Blind Culvert
A locomotive fireman dies after a train plunges into a washout during the Great Flood of 1892.
- A Tragic Day at the Shingle Mill
A worker in Centralia suffers a horrific industrial accident, highlighting the extreme dangers of early Washington timber mills.
- The Girl and the Cougar of Ferndale
A peaceful encounter between a child and a wild animal in the forests near Ferndale highlights the proximity of wilderness to the early settlements.
- The Man Who Chased a Dream and Broke His Leg
Nick Haley’s delirious pursuit of an imaginary kidnapper led him out a second-story window—a bizarre accident that highlights the strange intersection of mental health, domestic anxiety, and medical care in early Seattle.
- The Precarious Wealth of a Marcus Bachelor
A wealthy settler in the Colville Valley suffers a public health scare, highlighting the risks of frontier isolation and the burden of managing an estate.
- The Miner Who Hung by His Teeth
A coal miner's miraculous survival after a terrifying fall through a trestle near Palmer highlights the dangers of early industrial work.
- The Great Umbrella Dispute of Mercer Island
A school election dispute turns into a physical altercation, highlighting the intensity of local politics.
- A Night of Scandal in Edison
A young woman's night out leads to an arrest in Edison, highlighting the era's severe social policing of young women and their behavior.
- Drought in the 'Crystal Springs'
Citizens of Walla Walla were sold a dream of mountain water, but a local investigation reveals little more than mud and dried-up holes.
- The Power Struggle at City Hall
Council debates, dance hall morality, and the influence of John Considine highlight the friction in 1893 Seattle government.
- The Tragedy of the Harbor Dredge
A routine day at the mills turned fatal when a foreman was crushed during bridge construction, highlighting the perilous reality of Seattle's industrial expansion.
- A Dispute Over Laundry and Etiquette
A laundryman and a theatrical man clash in a courtroom, highlighting cultural prejudices of the 1890s.
- The Struggle to Dredge the Snohomish
Senator Squire lobbies federal engineers to clear the Snohomish River, highlighting the constant battle for infrastructure funding in a growing region.
- The Forgotten Family on the Garret Floor
An impoverished immigrant family, suffering from diphtheria in a cramped Seattle attic, highlights the desperate housing conditions facing newcomers in 1889.