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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 7 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1863 | 2 |
13 stories matching lead
- Steamer Pacific Wrecked on the Columbia
A local steamer strikes a rock in the dead of night, leading to the loss of its cargo and livestock.
- The Fight for the Territory’s Future
As the Civil War ignites, local politicians trade accusations over union loyalty, financial mismanagement, and the location of the Territorial seat of government.
- 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 Standard’s Call to Arms
An editorial lays out a definitive Unionist platform on the eve of civil war, arguing that the Republic must be preserved at any cost.
- The Struggle for Currency in Wartime Olympia
Merchants in Olympia face criticism for devaluing federal 'greenbacks' at the expense of local laborers.
- Divorce by Legislation
In the 1861 territorial session, the Washington Legislature became a de facto divorce court, forcing members to adjudicate the intimate failures of local couples.
- An Explorer’s Report from the Northwestern Frontier
A detailed dispatch describing the agricultural potential, wildlife, and natural beauty of the Clallam County prairies.
- The Phrenologist's Wedding Scandal
A self-proclaimed doctor and phrenologist attempts to marry a woman without legal authority, leading to a public arrest and a heated courtroom spectacle in Olympia.
- The Town That 'Resorted to Flat-Boats'
A skeptical writer from Walla Walla mocked Olympia’s tide-swept landscape, prompting a sharp, defensive retort from the local editor.
- 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 Shipwreck of the Persevere
A vessel founders near Cape Flattery, leading to a precarious encounter with local tribes and a recovery effort by Indian Agent H.A. Webster.
- 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.
- 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.