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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 7 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 15 |
46 stories matching pre
- A Land Office Says the Tide Flats Are Not for the Taking
George Louchs tried to pre-empt 123.8 acres of Seattle tide flats. A federal commissioner said the unsurveyed shore belonged to the public—for now.
- The Sham Colony of Whatcom County
Federal investigators expose a fraudulent scheme to seize timber lands using dummy 'pre-emption' entries.
- The Lawyer and the Imposter
Attorney James E. Morrison faces a hearing over allegations he orchestrated a fraudulent pre-emption claim using a double.
- The Mysterious Snoqualmie Valley Elopement
A young woman vanishes from her home in Pleasant Hill, only to reappear days later in a pre-arranged wedding.
- The Battle for the Snohomish River Claim
A landmark interior department decision favors an ailing settler over a speculator who tried to exploit a technicality in federal land law.
- Land Fraud in a Booming Town: Two Everett Homestead Cases Go to Trial
A 170-acre tract valued at $1,000 an acre and a 40-acre parcel in the heart of Everett are at the center of separate land contests alleging fraudulent homestead and pre-emption claims.
- The Seattle Land Rush of 1889
A weekly log of deeds and transactions reveals the frenzied pace of development, speculation, and shifting property lines in pre-statehood Seattle.
- A Nooksack Valley Land Fight Ends With One Man Holding Everything
Frank Luke and Watt Birdwell claimed the same Nooksack Valley lots. The Interior Department finally ruled that Luke's earlier settlement gave him the land.
- Three Children Escape as Fire Destroys a Snohomish Home
A pre-dawn fire consumed Mrs. Crane's house before anyone could stop it; the three children inside got out with only their clothes, and neighbors quickly organized aid.
- A Railroad Beats a Homesteader Over a Tacoma Land Claim
Judge Gilbert rules James De Lacey abandoned his claim before the Northern Pacific land grant, but De Lacey will appeal.
- A Kitchen Stove Fire Cost a Salmon Bay Family Their Home
A pre-dawn blaze in Salmon Bay Park destroyed John Rendleman's five-room house; the family escaped, but all their household belongings were lost.
- Architects Allege Rigged School Design Contest
Local architects claim the selection of A.L. Haley for the West Seattle schoolhouse was pre-determined and never truly competitive.
- Death of a Pioneer Saloonkeeper
A Seattle business figure, known for his pre-fire partnership, passes away at the age of 42.
- The Judge and the Gambling Den
Jefferson County’s legal establishment formally accuses their Superior Court judge of frequenting gambling houses and pre-judging cases.
- The Legal Battle Over Land Claims
Judge Hanford rules on a dispute between the Stimson Land Company and individual homesteaders, highlighting the complexities of federal land patent law.
- The Price of a Teaming Business
A pre-dawn blaze in Centralia destroys a feed barn and stables, claiming the lives of the teamsters' horses and revealing the high stakes of early Seattle-area transport labor.
- The Bakeman Block Consumed in Snohomish
A pre-dawn inferno destroys the downtown commercial core, barely sparing city records from the collapse.
- Corruption Charges Dog Tacoma's Water Bond Vote
Citizens and whistleblowers allege ballot-stuffing and illegal voting in a contentious election deciding the fate of the city's private utility purchase.
- The Great Sound City Feud of 1888
A Spokane visitor to Tacoma and Seattle observes the intense, pre-statehood rivalry between the two cities as they jockey for economic dominance in Washington Territory.
- The Juvenile Outlaws of South Seattle
Three pre-teen boys are caught after attempting to steal horses to fund a life of adventure and pleasure.
- The Ground Under Rainier Addition: A Seven-Year Title Fight Ends—for Now
After three trials and repeated reversals, Henry S. Alger is declared owner of a tract already platted into lots and improved by buyers who trusted the Hill title.
- The Settlers' War Against the Land Office
How the administration of Grover Cleveland turned homesteaders into outlaws, sparking fear across Washington Territory.
- The Quarry Owner Who Vanished Twice
Albert H. Sherwood once reappeared after a London trip claiming to have discovered his identity. Now he is missing again—just as a land contest needs his testimony.
- The Night Cheney Burned to the Ground
A pre-dawn fire decimated half of Cheney’s business district, leaving city officials to suspect arson as the town vowed to rise again from the ashes.
- Dry Ground for the Railroad Graders: Counties Refuse Liquor Licenses Along the Great Northern
King and Snohomish county commissioners banned liquor sales within five miles of the Great Northern construction line — a pre-emptive strike against drink and disorder in the work camps.