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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 8 |
| 1889 | 23 |
| 1891 | 12 |
| 1892 | 30 |
| 1893 | 44 |
| 1894 | 40 |
| 1895 | 54 |
211 stories matching observ
- The Lonely Vigil of the Weather Man
Before satellite arrays and supercomputers, the Seattle Weather Bureau relied on the tireless, midnight labor of trained observers and a secret telegraphic cipher to predict the Pacific Northwest's volatile storms.
- A Steamship Runs Aground at West Point
The collier Mackinaw, heavily loaded with coal, became stranded on the sandbar near the lighthouse, providing a tense morning for the crew and local observers.
- The Failed Heist on Second Street
A daring nighttime break-in at a Seattle hardware store is thwarted by an observant watchman.
- A City Pauses to Remember: Seattle's 1889 Memorial Day
Mayor Robert Moran calls on the frontier city to close its doors and honor the fallen as the Grand Army of the Republic marks the 21st anniversary of Decoration Day.
- The Great King County Land Scandal
An anonymous critique exposes rampant corruption and reckless assessment in the early days of King County’s real estate boom.
- Seattle’s Jewish Community Celebrates Rosh Hashanah
Local Hebrews observe the New Year with a service at the new synagogue at Eighth and Seneca streets.
- Tornados and Vanishing Towns: The Floods of 1894
A voluntary weather observer describes an unprecedented summer of destruction in Okanogan County, where tornados flattened 'shacks' and the Columbia River rose to record heights.
- A Sermon on Civic Corruption
Rev. Wallace Nutting takes the Seattle municipal government to task for its failure to control vice and its admission of helplessness.
- A Wild Bear Fight on the Grand Ronde
A local hunter witnesses a brutal showdown between a cinnamon and a black bear in the Asotin County mountains.
- A Sewer Scheme Built on Incompetence
Citizens and taxpayers are calling out the city's reckless mismanagement of sewer construction projects downtown.
- The Crisis in Seattle’s Classrooms
A scathing critique of 1892, where local observers argued that the public school system was a 'machine' failing the working-class children who needed practical skills over academic pretense.
- The Industrial Pilgrims of Seattle
A group of fifty American workingmen return from an overseas tour with a glowing report on the superiority of American life, sparking a fierce debate on labor, prosperity, and the protective tariff.
- The Tragedy of the Pigeon-Toed Dude
A brief, biting observation from the Seattle Press on the shifting aesthetics of late 19th-century masculinity and fashion.
- The Lonely Life of a Government Wireman
Operating the seventy-six-mile telegraph line to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula was a grueling, low-paying job that pitted the weather bureau against the raw Washington wilderness.
- Centennial Holiday Brings Excursions to Seattle
While the nation observed the Washington Centennial with parades and solemn ceremonies, Tacoma residents flocked to the docks for a holiday excursion to the bustling city of Seattle.
- The Raids at La Conner
Federal inspectors and the city marshal target a local washhouse, escalating the regional enforcement of exclusionary laws.
- Tragedy on the Danube
A fireman plunges into the Sound as a steamer arrives in Seattle with a cargo of laborers.
- A Threat to Seattle's Urban Canopy
A state official warns residents about an invasive insect species infesting trees on Madison Street.
- The Tragedy of Suzuki Kumakichi
A Japanese fisherman is discovered dead in his cabin at Holmes Harbor, the victim of accidental asphyxiation.
- A Mysterious Man Walks Into Police Headquarters
A well-dressed young man appeared at the Seattle police station fearing he was a wanted criminal, but the truth proved less dramatic.
- The Quiet 'Giant' Arrested for Saving Pictures
A man of enormous stature was taken into custody after wandering through downtown Seattle, 'saving' people and art by touch.
- The Great Everett Libel Feud
A theatrical legal battle between an Everett editor and his rival unfolds, characterized more by grandstanding lawyers than actual injury.
- A Failed Holdup on the Streets of Seattle
Two highwaymen with revolvers cornered a pair of locals near the waterfront, only to discover their victims were penniless.
- Drunken Thieves Caught Arguing Over Their Booty
An alert officer captures a group of men who could not stop fighting over the split of a ten-dollar robbery.
- The Case for a City Fire Marshal
Seattle's Board of Underwriters pushes for a dedicated official to investigate suspicious fires and enforce building safety in the wake of mounting insurance concerns.