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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 9 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 5 |
34 stories matching spars
- Death in the Ring at the People's Theater
A sparring match at a downtown variety hall turns fatal, sparking a city-wide crackdown on brutal 'glove contests'.
- A Pugilistic Showdown at the Machine Shop
A staged prizefight between two local heavyweights turns into a public spectacle.
- The Bishop, the Convicts, and the Sparring Match
Bishop Wells insists a prisoner-run entertainment at the penitentiary was decorous and proper—not the prizefight rumor made it out to be.
- The Prizefight That Killed a Boxer
A police lieutenant faces suspension for failing to stop a brutal, fatal sparring exhibition at the People's Theater.
- A Builder's Conflict: Parkinson and the City Contract
Local contractors and workers spar over a building contract awarded to an architect, sparking a debate about public versus private interest in Seattle's growth.
- The 'Kid Committee' Faces Its Election Tab
Democratic party campaign workers and local publishers spar in court over unpaid bills for 1892 election advertising.
- The Great Encampment Squabble
Washington's citizen-soldiers spar over the location of their permanent training grounds and the pride of hosting a Fourth of July parade.
- 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 Blue Law Brawl: Saloon Keepers vs. The Temperance Crusade
In North Yakima, the Women's Christian Temperance Union declares war on Sunday commerce, arresting boxers and threatening every saloon owner in town.
- The City and County Spar Over the Poor
Seattle officials and King County commissioners reach a stalemate over who bears the responsibility for the city's indigent population.
- Seattle's New Athletic Powerhouse
The Olympic Athletic Club and the Seattle Cycling Club merge to dominate the local sports scene, promising new facilities at Woodland Park.
- City and County Spar Over Smallpox Care Costs
A simmering dispute between the Seattle City Council and King County over who should pay to treat the city's sick and indigent.
- The Seattle Athletic Club Rejects Prize Fighting
A newly formed club at the Hotel Northern officially bans professional boxing matches on their premises, signaling a shift toward amateur sport in the young city.
- The City and County Spar Over Who Pays for the Poor
Mayor Ronald and health officials grapple with a budget crisis over the medical care of impoverished residents, highlighting the administrative friction in 1890s Seattle.
- The Battle for the Yesler Fortune
Legal teams spar in the high-stakes probate battle over the estate of Seattle pioneer Henry Yesler.
- The Battle for the City Charter
Seattle's charter revisers spar over whether to maintain a two-house council or consolidate power, highlighting deep tensions over political cliques and mayoral authority.
- Seattle's Fire Engine Scandal
City officials spar over a controversial, expensive fire engine purchase, raising questions of incompetence and potential overpayment.
- Olympia Wakes Up: Subpoenas, Telegraph Rates and a Suffrage Amendment
The 1895 Washington legislature moved from political strife to lawmaking, passing investigative subpoena power and jury reform while introducing bills to cap telegraph tolls, save Columbia salmon and give women the vote.
- The Great Grain Rate War
Legislators in Olympia spar over a proposed reduction in railroad freight rates, setting Eastern Washington farmers against the powerful railroad corporations.
- The Custody Battle of Baby Augustus
A toddler causes a stir in Judge Osborn's court as separated parents spar over custody rights in a high-stakes legal drama.
- The Deadly Cost of Saloon Boxing
Seattle dives are profiting from 'scientific' sparring matches that frequently turn fatal for the impoverished, untrained men forced into the ring.
- The Great Hop Hype
Local dealers spar with growers over inflated rumors of global demand for Washington's prized crop.
- The Football Defense: A 19th-Century Debate on Brutality
Readers spar in the pages of the Post-Intelligencer over whether American college football is a ‘scientific’ athletic endeavor or a barbaric ‘prized-fight’ masquerading as sport.
- The Workingman's Mayor: A 1892 Look at Labor Relations
As Seattle geared up for its 1892 mayoral election, political operatives and newspapers sparred over whether candidate John Leary was a true friend to the labor movement or just a businessman courting votes.
- The Fight to Ban Boxing in 1891 Washington
As the state legislature considered a sweeping crackdown on 'prizefighting' in 1891, the proposed law sparked debate over what constitutes public violence versus private athletic exercise.