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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 42 |
| 1889 | 93 |
| 1891 | 40 |
| 1892 | 145 |
| 1893 | 157 |
| 1894 | 190 |
| 1895 | 244 |
911 stories matching small
- 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.
- Vancouver’s Heart of Flame
A catastrophic fire destroys the business district of Vancouver, Washington, leaving small shopkeepers destitute and the city in shock.
- A Sudden Squall Rocks the Seattle Waterfront
A fierce windstorm capsizes a sailboat, sinks a boathouse, and tests the nerves of local sailors.
- The Shocking State of the Port Townsend Courthouse
A dangerous electrical grounding issue in the county building leaves water pipes charged with current.
- The Rent Crisis of 1892
How a post-boom construction surge finally brought relief to Seattle's cramped and overcharged renters.
- A Solitary Death in Black Diamond
A lonely cabin near the mining town marks a tragic end for a man consumed by alcohol.
- An Angler's Surprise in Lake Union
A six-pound blue catfish is landed, sparking debates about the ecological impact of non-native species introduced by state commissioners.
- Centerville Burns: A Klickitat County Business Block Lost in a Night
An August 3 fire destroyed $15,000 in property—two hotels, a Mercantile Hall, a store, homes and the Knights of Pythias hall—with only small insurance.
- The Brick Block Mandate: Why Your Empty Lot is Killing Seattle's Economy
An editorial argues that refusing to build substantial structures on city land is a civic failure, urging property owners to construct brick buildings to retain tradesmen and attract new industry.
- Colfax Bank Cashier Vanishes with $11,000
A small-town banker has absconded, leaving his depositors with a massive, unexplained hole in the books.
- A Small Sum, a Large Victory: Washington Gets Behind the Lake Washington Canal
Congress sets aside $25,000 for the canal — a modest figure that Seattle reads as the federal government finally saying yes to a waterway Oregon spent years fighting.
- Tragedy in the Timber: A Pioneer's Fatal Accident
A newlywed husband is widowed in a freak accident when a tree, toppled by the great storm of 1891, crushes his wife in their own backyard.
- The Bering Sea Bounty of 1889
A schooner arrives in Seattle with 50,000 pounds of fresh halibut, marking a rare high point in a market otherwise starved for salmon and halibut.
- A Captain's Midnight Wrestle With an Armed Robber
Capt. W.W. Gardner loses a small sum but saves his watch after a holdup at Thirteenth and I streets—part of a burglary wave police cannot seem to stop.
- A Secret Prize Fight in the Southern Woods
A small group of spectators gathered in a secluded nook to watch a 'scientific contest' between two local pugilists.
- The Mystery of the Solid Rock Fish
Workers drilling a deep well near Ruston were shocked to find a live, pale fish emerge from 140 feet below the surface.
- The Shack on South Third Street
A tenant returns to find his small business, stock-in-trade, and silver knives unceremoniously dumped in the street.
- Smuggling Scandal at Mary Island
A customs official is dismissed for allegedly allowing small craft to run illegal liquor shipments to Indigenous populations, sparking a debate on enforcement limits.
- Seattle and Tacoma Spar Over Lake Washington Canal
Seattle and Tacoma trade accusations of jealousy and political maneuvering over the proposed Lake Washington Canal.
- The Professional Vagrant Who Could Not Stay Away
A habitual traveler of the rails, George P. Small, is caught once again in Oregon, highlighting the desperate, recurring struggle of the era's displaced poor.
- Tragedy Strikes Gold-Seekers Bound for Alaska
A family and their guide are feared lost after their small boat is found capsized following a storm while attempting to reach Seattle to prepare for an Alaskan expedition.
- A Nine-Year-Old Kills a Walla Walla Merchant's Son
A child's quarrel in Walla Walla ends with Charles Rose shot dead and another nine-year-old in the county jail.
- A Close Call with a Cub in the Woods
A young boy's attempt to capture a bear cub nearly ends in disaster when the mother bear returns to defend her offspring.
- A Heartbreaking Winter in Cle Elum
A Northern Pacific railroad worker's family struggles with extreme poverty and illness in Cle Elum.
- The Medal-Winning Blacksmith of Dayton
How a small-town Washington inventor gained international acclaim from the Parisian Academy of Inventors for a clever sidehill plow design.