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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 11 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 7 |
| 1895 | 31 |
83 stories matching soil
- The Duwamish Valley's Early Land Rush
While Seattle’s real estate market was heating up in 1889, developer W.W. Belvin was marketing 'three-acre tracts' in the Duwamish River Valley, promising proximity to town and fertile soil.
- The Bachelor Plague: A Warning to Women Considering Washington Territory
A satirical column in the Waterville Empire warns Eastern women that the territory is overrun with 'horrid bachelors,' urging them to come anyway for the climate and soil.
- L.H. Rogers Seeks King County Farmland, 1891
A look at the turn-of-the-century land speculation market in King County, where suburban tracts were sold as the path to prosperity.
- The Great Timber Land Swindle: How Seattle’s Elite Claimed Farmable Soil as Forest
A federal commissioner rules that the lands held by Bailey and Hawley are actually fertile agricultural soil, not timber land, overturning decades of speculative entries in the Samish Lake district.
- Why Are We Importing Grapes?
An editorial critique argues that Washington's fertile soil and climate are being ignored by local farmers while markets are filled with New York imports.
- Could Washington Become a Rice Producer?
A Japanese agricultural expert suggests that the soil and climate of Eastern Washington are perfectly suited for rice, tea, and silk production.
- The Great Migration to the 'Power of Central Washington'
An 1889 promotional poem and report lured families from the 'crowded cities' of the East and Midwest to the promised land of the Wenatchee River valley.
- The Homesteading Debutantes
Two young women from Spokane reject the domestic sphere to stake a claim on the rugged Washington frontier.
- 1,950 Farmers Tested Whether Washington Could Grow Its Own Sugar
A statewide experiment from Pullman found Washington soil and climate unusually suited to sugar beets—raising hopes that the state could someday manufacture all the sugar it consumed.
- The Great Regrade of Commercial Street
A proposal to drop Commercial Street by ten feet to improve drainage and access.
- The Untamed Wilderness of Snohomish County
A survey of the rugged landscapes, booming timber industry, and frontier settlements that would define the region's future.
- The Rain-Soaked Fields of the Palouse
Heavy, unrelenting rains delay the spring wheat planting in Eastern Washington, causing concern for farmers.
- A Road, a Railroad and a 10x10 Schoolhouse: Into the Wilds of Clallam County
S. W. Clark returns from the far western corner of the Olympic Peninsula with tales of rich soil, bachelors' cabins, Indian-canoe supply lines and a weekly paper published in the forest.
- The Unwelcome Discovery at the Foundry
While excavating for a new skeleton for the foundry, workmen unearthed a human skull and long bones, a grim reminder of history beneath Seattle's industrial soil.
- Building the Great Northern Through the Cascades
Tunnel construction for the Great Northern Railroad claims a life as laborers battle mountain mud and unrelenting rain.
- The Quest for Water at Temperance and Mercer
Developer D. T. Denny is drilling deep into the ground of North Seattle, hoping to tap an artesian aquifer to secure water for his property.
- The Mystery Grave in Masonic Cemetery
Sexton D.P. Metz discovers a tiny, unmarked grave, reviving memories of a haunting trend of abandoned burials.
- Washington's 1889 Convention Debates Land Ownership, Bribery
Delegates in Olympia debate alien land rights and anti-bribery measures for the new state charter.
- The Great Fire of 1889: Resilience in the Ashes
A traveler recounts their journey across the continent to find a city 'wiped out' but miraculously still standing, thriving in tents and determined to rebuild.
- Seattle's First Strawberries Head East
Local horticulturists test the viability of shipping Puget Sound fruit to Eastern markets by rail.
- Washington’s Hidden Bounty: The Oat Capital of 1889
Newly released federal statistics highlight the massive agricultural potential of Washington Territory, crowning it as the nation's premier producer of oats.
- Whidbey Island Land Speculation
A syndicate eyes 14,000 acres for fruit farming, signaling a shift in regional agricultural development.
- Eastern Washington Bets on Beet Sugar
Prominent regional figures file articles of incorporation for a new sugar factory in Waverly, signaling a push for industrial agriculture.
- The Gold Rush That Never Was
A Tacoma land speculator attempted to claim school property as a 'placer mine,' sparking a massive legal battle and accusations of salted soil.
- The Presbyterian Church Breaks Ground
A sunny afternoon ceremony launches the construction of a grand new sanctuary on Fourth Street, complete with Paris opera-style seating.