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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 8 |
| 1862 | 16 |
| 1863 | 11 |
38 stories matching hous
- The Relocation of the Customs House
Citizens of Port Townsend are reeling after reports that the Custom-House is being moved to satisfy political land speculators.
- The Custom House City That Almost Wasn't
A skeptical observer reports on the slow progress and eccentric realities of the newly established custom house in Port Angeles.
- 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 Beacon at the Edge of the World
A rare dispatch from the remote Tatoosh Island lighthouse reveals the technical marvel of the Fresnel lens and the isolation of the keepers guarding the Pacific entrance.
- 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 Divorce Dozen: Olympia’s Council Clears a Path for Broken Marriages
In December 1860, the Washington Territory Council processed a flurry of divorce petitions, including one from prominent local figure Carson D. Boren, revealing the fragile nature of domestic life in the frontier.
- The House Rejects Treason Resolution
Tensions reach a boiling point in the territorial legislature as members debate the loyalty of Delegate Isaac I. Stevens during the onset of the Civil War.
- The Town That Lost Its Custom House
An observant traveler visits Port Townsend and finds a community reeling from political retaliation and questionable pulpit interpretations.
- Tragedy in the Woods Near Vancouver
A farmer disappears while investigating his dog's barking; his body is discovered the following morning.
- The Territorial Legislature Deadlocked
In early December 1862, Olympia's legislative session began in disarray, with power struggles over credentials and procedural maneuvering stalling the body's organization.
- The Partisan Brawl of 1862
A scathing editorial laments the Olympia legislature's refusal to pass loyalty resolutions, accusing lawmakers of secret disloyalty to the Union cause.
- Lawmakers Mocked for 'Infra Dig' Stationery and Cutlery
Legislators receive low-quality office supplies, sparking protests, ridicule, and a formal proposal to donate the cheap jack-knives to a butcher's association.
- Thurston County Rallies for the Union
As the Civil War ignites, Republicans in Olympia gather to declare their loyalty to the Union and choose their delegates for the coming struggle.
- The Struggle for Inclusion in the Civil War Era
A local letter to the editor challenges the anti-immigrant prejudice of the day, arguing that foreign-born citizens are just as essential to the Republic as native-born ones.
- Brutal Murder at Port Discovery
A man found slain in his home with axe wounds remains an unsolved mystery as authorities open an investigation.
- The Cynical Toll of Local Politics
A satirical diary of a man who wins a nomination for public office, only to be ruined by the exorbitant financial and social demands of his supporters.
- The Capitol Betrayal: Olympia’s Seat of Power Shipped to Vancouver
In a stunning political maneuver, the Territorial Legislature has voted to move the capital from Olympia to Vancouver and the penitentiary to Port Townsend, sparking outrage among local editors who see it as a betrayal of trust.
- 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.
- Establishing the Penitentiary's Pay
Legislators grapple with the cost of housing inmates at the Steilacoom jail while the permanent penitentiary site remains a mystery.
- Tragedy on the Pacific Coast
A boat carrying two men home to the Point William lighthouse swamped in the rough waters of Pacific County.
- The Pre-emptor’s Ledger: A Blueprint for Owning Olympia
In November 1860, the federal government issued a rigid, almost theatrical checklist of requirements for settlers hoping to claim land in Washington Territory. It wasn't enough to just show up; you had to prove your worthiness through a litany of domestic and agricultural details.
- The Port Townsend Loyalty Meetings
Citizens organize to refute allegations of disloyalty published in regional newspapers.
- The Battle for the Cascades Franchise
Legislators trade accusations of 'blackmailing' and 'monopoly' while debating a massive infrastructure bill for the Columbia River.
- 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.
- The Great Disenfranchisement Fight
Legislators clash over an apportionment bill that threatens to strip the growing eastern population of representation, sparking fears of a political outrage.