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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 7 |
| 1862 | 10 |
| 1863 | 3 |
21 stories matching hand
- Political Conflict in an Olympia Classroom
A student is driven from school after being bullied for his vocal support of the Union.
- An Early Coastal Survey of the Quillehuyt River
James G. Swan documents his journey to the Quillayute River, describing the geography, the Indigenous stronghold at James Island, and the aftermath of the Southerner shipwreck.
- An Indignant Patron
A Chinese man refuses a segregated ticket policy at a local circus.
- The Capital Crisis of 1861
A fiery letter to the editor captures the volatile politics of Washington Territory, as Pierce County residents accused the legislature of a 'corrupt bargain' over the location of the capital.
- Patriotic Rivalry at Oak Point
When steamer crewmen beat the local ladies to the punch on a flag-raising ceremony, the women reclaimed the duty themselves.
- 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.
- A Frontier Feud: The Scathing Attack on Byon F. Kendall
A brutal public broadside against political rival Byon F. Kendall highlights the vitriolic nature of local 1860s journalism.
- Vigilante Justice Follows the Murder of a Pierce County Leader
A mass-meeting in Steilacoom formalizes the community's outrage over the vigilante killing of a citizen-slayer, reflecting deep distrust in the local courts.
- Corruption and Starvation in the Indian Service
Local creditors left unpaid while thousands of dollars in federal funds disappear under the Superintendent's watch.
- The Battle for the Territorial Capitol
A legal and political standoff over the physical location of the territorial capital and library forces an Acting Governor to weigh state law against federal fiscal crisis.
- The Nez Perce Treaty Funds Scandal
A political war in the newspapers exposes missing funds and potential embezzlement in the Indian Superintendency.
- Legislature Honors Fallen General Isaac I. Stevens
Lawmakers declare a ten-day mourning period for the former Governor and Union General killed in the Civil War.
- The Ten Thousand Union Democrats That Weren't
A political correspondent mocks the failure of a planned 'Union Democrat' meeting in Vancouver, where thousands were promised but only a handful appeared.
- A War Party Among the Makah
James G. Swan recounts the violent return of a Makah war party to Neah Bay after a retaliatory expedition against the Elwha people near Dungeness.
- 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 Editor’s Defense of a Federal Appointee
After losing his status as Public Printer, the newspaper editor takes up the cause of the embattled Port Townsend Collector of Customs, Victor Smith.
- The Morning Glory Fizzle
A group of Vancouver Southern sympathizers attempted to print a campaign paper in Portland, only to have their equipment and their vanity locked away in a safe they couldn't open.
- 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 Murder of Chief Swell
A faithful ally to white settlers is murdered in a cold-blooded territorial dispute, exposing the impotence of the Indian Agency.
- The Public Printer's Stand-Off
A legislative clerk threatened 'foul means' to seize official manuscripts from the printer, leading to a tense standoff over territorial records.
- The Pony Express Ends: Lincoln Wins, But the South Sees War
As the Pony Express delivers the shocking news of Abraham Lincoln’s election to a nervous Sacramento, Olympia residents mark local weddings and watch their market prices hold steady.