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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1891 | 11 |
| 1892 | 28 |
| 1893 | 28 |
| 1894 | 42 |
| 1895 | 41 |
169 stories matching regul
- The Madison Street Pavilion Defense
An amusement park proprietor fights back against city efforts to revoke his liquor license.
- Washington Debates Making the Railroad Commission Permanent
Debating the power of the state to regulate railroad monopolies in Washington.
- Makah Sealers Face Forfeiture
Federal authorities move to seize two schooners owned by Makah sealers for violating international sealing regulations off Cape Flattery.
- The Poker Club That Wrote ‘No Gambling’ Into Its Own Rulebook
Seattle detectives raid a Third and Cherry social club and find a members-only poker game hiding behind a constitution that strictly forbade gambling.
- The Illegal Swim
Two men face fines for the 'crime' of swimming in Lake Washington, highlighting the strange, hyper-regulated public morals of 1890s Seattle.
- The Smallpox Threat from Victoria
As cases of smallpox rise rapidly in British Columbia, Seattle calls for a strict maritime quarantine to protect the city.
- The Mayor's Veto of Arbitrary Police Power
Mayor Ronald strikes down a vehicle regulation ordinance, arguing that delegating absolute control to police officers oversteps the law.
- A Diplomatic Dilemma at the Border
Hon. John Leary and his wife, returning from their honeymoon in Japan, found themselves stranded at the Victoria quarantine station, leading to a strange battle of bureaucracy.
- The City Moves to Regulate Plumbing
A new city ordinance establishes a Board of Examiners to license plumbers, aiming to crack down on substandard work in Seattle.
- The Fight for Cheaper Calls
City council debates regulating telephone rates and forcing lines underground in a push to modernize Seattle's infrastructure.
- The Great Railway Debate
Legislators in Olympia grapple with the Farmers' Alliance, railroad monopolies, and the fight for equitable shipping rates as tension mounts between East and West Washington.
- Tacoma’s Culture Clash
A new city ordinance forbidding saloons near churches threatens the future of Tacoma’s beloved German theater and social club.
- The Fishermen’s Union Versus the Open Market
An editorial from 1888 examines the tension between organized labor tactics and the rights of individual workers on the Seattle waterfront.
- Oregon Officers Cross the Columbia to Arrest Washington Fishermen
Seattle's paper accuses an Astoria judge of sending raiders into Washington waters to kidnap citizens for violating Oregon's salmon laws — an armed invasion of state sovereignty, it charges.
- The Water Works Rebellion
A fed-up citizen vents his fury over the city's crumbling infrastructure and inept utility management.
- The Embargo on the Sound
Federal quarantine regulations at Port Townsend are throttling commerce and forcing freight ships to run at a loss.
- The Great Railway Freight Revolt
In a 1891 legislative showdown, Washington lawmakers slashed freight rates by 25 percent to combat railroad monopolies, sparking a fierce debate over state versus corporate control.
- The 'Cast Iron' Registration of Chinese Residents
New, highly restrictive federal regulations under the Geary Act require Chinese laborers to register with the government, using photographs for 'complete identification.'
- Squire Arrives in Olympia as Senate Fight Heats Up
As Senator Watson Squire arrives to secure his reelection, the halls of the state capital are buzzing with political maneuvering, railroad regulation debates, and the lingering shadow of the Wounded Knee massacre.
- The City Moves to Banish Explosives
Seattle officials push for a safer downtown by banning the central storage of dangerous blasting powder.
- The Customs Wars at the Port of Townsend
A power struggle over maritime jurisdiction leaves a British ship detained and the business community in an uproar.
- Denied Shelter at the Hospital, A Woman Gives Birth in a Police Station
A tragic case of medical red tape and bureaucratic cruelty exposes the lack of a social safety net in 1893 Seattle.
- The Unlikely Democracy of Old Seattle's Social Clubs
While business leaders built the city’s economy, a fragile web of tennis courts, chess clubs, and elite cotillion circles defined its social fabric in 1891.
- Ten Cents a Month to Read: Seattle Votes to Put Its Library on the Payroll
After a night of wrangling, the Board of Aldermen and the House of Delegates agree to spend $250 and charge adult borrowers a monthly fee to keep the circulating department open — over the objection that the city cannot afford it.
- Smallpox Outbreak at the American Hotel
Twenty-eight residents quarantined after hotel porter is moved to the city's pest house.