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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 21 |
| 1889 | 54 |
| 1891 | 25 |
| 1892 | 46 |
| 1893 | 91 |
| 1894 | 75 |
| 1895 | 137 |
449 stories matching sold
- Spokane's 'Spotted Egg' Targeted by 1,393 Petitioners
Residents demand an end to theaters and dance halls selling liquor, while the legislature bans women from working where liquor is sold—a law aimed squarely at Johnny Considine's Spokane resort.
- The Unlucky Fate of the Steamer City of Ellensburg
Creditors protest a forced sale of a river steamer, claiming the vessel was sold for a pittance in a 'farce' of an auction.
- Seattle Gas Works Sold for $630,000
A syndicate of Seattle and St. Paul investors has purchased the city's primary gas supplier, with plans for expansion and modernization.
- The Right to Keep Your Home After a Tax Sale
Judge Langley rules on a pivotal case challenging whether the city can cut off a homeowner's redemption rights after property is sold for back taxes.
- The Snohomish Bond Scheme: How Outsiders Tried to Rig City Finances
When Eastern and California financiers tried to orchestrate a 'little combine' to depress the value of city bonds, Snohomish officials fought back.
- The Steamship Cricket Finds a New Owner
A local steamer has been sold for $7,000 to serve the route between Seattle and Everett.
- A Unanimous Vote to Push Women Out of the Beer Halls
The Washington House backed a bill barring women from working anywhere intoxicating liquor was sold—aimed at waitresses and 'beer rulers' in variety theaters and saloons.
- The Wild Cow That Ran Amok: Seattle’s First Public Menace
A runaway bovine terrorized the streets of Pioneer Square before being shot dead, sparking a bizarre legal battle over who owned the carcass and whether rotten beef could be sold to unsuspecting diners.
- Seattle High Society Takes the Stage
A sold-out, star-studded burlesque production at the Seattle Theater featuring an all-male cast and local socialites creates a sensation.
- Ballard's Electric Company Sold for $1,210—Franchise and All
A receivership sale handed the Ballard Electric Light Company's property and franchise to a mortgagee, while the company's subscription stockholders were written off as 'wholly irresponsible.'
- A Jinxed Steamer Sold at Auction: The Henry Bailey's Bad Luck on the Skagit
After repeated sinkings in the Skagit River and a crew's libel suit, the steamer Henry Bailey went on the auction block at Seattle's Yesler dock—fetching a fraction of its original cost.
- City Moves to Shut Down Dance Houses
A municipal judge rules against saloons operating dance halls, marking a turning point in the city's crackdown on 'lewd and lascivious' nightlife.
- The Warden Fights Back: Grain-Sack Graft and Cruelty Charges at the State Penitentiary
Accused of skimming from grain-sack sales and mistreating prisoners, Walla Walla's warden dares the state to investigate — and the Post-Intelligencer says it should.
- The Saloonkeeper and the 'Fire' Scam
A Snohomish business owner accused of fraud faces court after a dubious claim that his saloon had burned down to escape a debt.
- Local Tug Sold for Cross-Border Rivalry
A Port Townsend tugboat is sold to British Columbia interests to break the monopoly on regional towing business.
- A Horse-Thieving Liveryman’s Great Escape
After mortgaging his entire business and selling off his neighbor's property, a British Columbia liveryman makes a desperate flight across the border into Washington.
- The Fight to Build Washington's Capitol—and the Man Who Wanted It in Puyallup
A state commission says the capitol can be finished debt-free, but a rival town's booster has other ideas.
- The State Secures the Land for the University of Washington
A public auction on the shores of Lake Washington clears the path for the university's move from downtown to its current campus.
- The Deed Was Too Generous: Yesler's Estate Sues to Take Back a Slice of Seattle
A forgotten 1892 complaint by Seattle's founding figure is revived by his administrators, who say a mutual mistake gave away too much of the Yesler donation claim.
- The Widow and the Land Graber
An Indian widow and her children reclaim their land after being defrauded by a prominent guardian.
- City Hall Debates Paying Workers in Scrip
Facing a cash crunch, Seattle city officials consider paying for sewer infrastructure with IOUs that workers might have to sell at a discount.
- The City’s Strawberry Obsession
A local glut of strawberries has upended the market, left bakers with half-empty pie tins, and frustrated fruit merchants.
- The Islander's Printing Contract Ruled Invalid
The Washington Supreme Court finds that San Juan County erred in awarding a printing contract to the Islander, directing the work to the Graphic instead.
- The Price of Progress on Second and Marion
A lucrative real estate flip on a prominent corner reveals the rapid transformation of Seattle’s downtown core.
- Yesler Avenue Cable Line Sold to Syndicates
A major transit deal changes hands as the Wilmans brothers exit the Seattle streetcar market to focus on mining interests.
Also about this, in other words
- A Railroad, a Tide-Land Tract, and an Elevator Go on the Auction Block
A bond debt forced the sheriff to sell the Terminal Railway Elevator Company's tracks, tide land, West Seattle elevator and warehouse, and franchise at the courthouse steps.
- The County Courthouse That Wasn't: King County Sells Its Own Home
In a bizarre twist of civic bureaucracy in January 1891, King County is forced to auction off the very building housing its courts because the new one isn't finished yet.