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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 5 |
12 stories matching final
- The Speakerless Session: A Legislative Standoff
After seventeen ballots and tense debates over legal swearing-in procedures, the Territorial House finally elects a Speaker.
- The Battle for the Cascades Franchise
Legislators trade accusations of 'blackmailing' and 'monopoly' while debating a massive infrastructure bill for the Columbia River.
- A Candidate's Disreputable Journey
A political traveler's penchant for whiskey and poker leaves his campaign coffers dry.
- The Rowdy Election of the Territorial Printer
Washington's early legislature devolves into political gridlock as members brawl over the powerful and lucrative appointment of the official Territorial Printer.
- Olympia's Legislative Logjam
As the eighth session of the Territorial Legislature draws to a close, a cynical editor chronicles the stalling of business, the maneuvering for position, and the technicalities used to avoid public votes.
- The Divorce Factory of 1861
Tired of a legislative session flooded with endless divorce petitions, the Washington Territorial Council finally moves to curb the practice.
- The Collector of Customs and the Steamer Eliza Anderson
A dramatic standoff between a local Customs Collector and a naval lieutenant highlights the administrative dysfunction and power struggles in Port Angeles.
- The Disappearing Superintendent
A scathing editorial accuses B.F. Kendall of mishandling over $35,000 in public funds and ignoring his successor's demands for an accounting.
- The Bread and Water Diet
An Olympia man decides to test a traveling lecturer's advice on eating, but his wife has the final say.
- The Violent Expulsion of a Black Resident from Olympia
A white resident publicly recounts his role in forcing a Black man out of town, illustrating the overt racism prevalent in the territory during the Civil War era.
- The Meadow Snake Fiasco
A bashful farmhand’s desperate attempts to avoid the local quilting party result in an unintended, high-speed chase with a black snake.
- The Political Brawl for Olympia
A sordid, public feud between federal officials in Washington Territory spills into the press as appointments turn personal and properties are seized.