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1. Tacoma Steamship Survives Port Arthur Bombardment

   The American liner Pleiades escapes the opening salvos of the Russo-Japanese War, arriving in Tacoma with a harrowing firsthand account of the chaos.

   Mar 26, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce County

2. City's Eight-Hour Law Survives Legal Challenge

   A local court rules that the city of Tacoma can enforce its eight-hour workday mandate against a construction firm's protest.

   Sep 17, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyWork & Pay

3. Predatory Lending Against Tribal Land

   Legal battle initiates to annul a property deed used as predatory collateral for a small cash loan.

   Apr 1, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

4. The Harvest Rush at Puyallup

   Warm weather forces a premature start to the raspberry season, leaving growers in urgent need of labor.

   Jun 27, 1904The Tacoma TimesPuyallup, Pierce CountyWork & Pay

5. A New Skyline for Tacoma

   The Commercial Club plans a ten-story skyscraper on Pacific Avenue to house its headquarters.

   Mar 3, 1909The Tacoma TimesPacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

6. City Council Plays Hardball with Rail Magnate

   Tacoma officials force James J. Hill to build depots in exchange for a multi-million dollar franchise.

   Apr 22, 1909The Tacoma TimesOld Town, Tacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

7. The City Police Station Turns Into an Impromptu Barbershop

   Twenty-six aspiring barbers descended upon police headquarters for a rigorous examination and practical test of their skills.

   Mar 24, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

8. The Boy with the Bullet

   A miraculous recovery for a 15-year-old struck by a stray bullet in his temple.

   Jan 4, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

9. The Battle of the West End

   Neighbors in Tacoma's West End are calling for city intervention after a wave of poisonings fails to curb the local dog population.

   Apr 27, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

10. The Sermon that Shook a Seattle Congregation

    A Seattle minister caused a sensation by preaching that biblical figures were of the Black race, citing historical and lineage arguments to his congregation.

    Dec 26, 1903The Tacoma TimesSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

11. The Captain Returns from the Dead

    Sensational rumors of a shipwreck off Cape Flattery vanish as the captain of the schooner Ella sails safely into Tacoma.

    May 5, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce County

12. Filipino Sailors Arrested Over Card Game

    A festive dinner in a Chinese chop suey house ended in jail time for nine sailors when police mistook a casual game of cards for gambling.

    Mar 15, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

13. Hop Shortage Promises Record Prices for Farmers

    A disappointing harvest in Western Washington valley regions leads growers to expect a massive spike in market prices.

    Sep 14, 1904The Tacoma TimesPuyallup, Pierce County

14. The Shadowy Slot Machine King of Tacoma

    A brutal divorce filing exposes the secret owner of Tacoma's pervasive slot machine operations.

    Jun 24, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyScandal

15. The End of the City Cow

    Tacoma moves to ban the 'lowing herd' from city limits, declaring that more than two cows makes a dairy, not a home.

    Apr 15, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

16. The Great Bed-Sheet Debate

    Legislators in Olympia waste the public's time by bickering over the legal length of hotel linens.

    Feb 23, 1909The Tacoma TimesOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

17. The Shadowy Cartel Squeezing Tacoma's Grocers

    A former independent grocer testifies before a grand jury, exposing how industry boycotts forced small business owners into insolvency.

    Apr 24, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

18. The Millionaire Forger in a Hospital Bed

    A notorious mail robber and master forger is caught in Tacoma after a nationwide manhunt, but the city isn't letting him go just yet.

    Apr 7, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

19. John L. Sullivan’s Gift of Gratitude

    A famous prize-fighter leaves a $25 gold penknife for the Tacoma theater manager who returned his lost $135 check.

    Mar 22, 1909The Tacoma TimesPantages Theater, Tacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

20. The Price Tag for Tacoma's Future Classrooms

    Tacoma’s school board moves to put a massive quarter-million-dollar bond measure before voters to modernize schools and build a new high school.

    Mar 3, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

21. The City vs. The Railroad King

    After two years of political brinkmanship, a local newspaper claims victory in forcing Jim Hill to negotiate for Tacoma's rail expansion.

    Jan 14, 1909The Tacoma TimesCity Hall, Tacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

22. A Desperate Call for Skin Grafts

    After a lamp explosion leaves a Walla Walla woman severely burned, the community is urged to donate skin to save her life.

    May 19, 1904The Tacoma TimesWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyDisasters

23. The Motherhood Suffrage Bill

    Legislators propose a bizarre measure to tie the right to vote to child-bearing, sparking fury among suffrage activists in Olympia.

    Jan 23, 1909The Tacoma TimesOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

24. Tacoma’s North End Demands Cheaper Streetcar Fares

    Local neighborhood club pushes for universal ticket sales on cars to lower costs for daily commuters.

    Feb 23, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

25. The Price of Private Monopolies

    An editorial critique of William C. Whitney's $20 million fortune, built on public franchise exploitation.

    Feb 12, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

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