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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 2 |
| 1861 | 11 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 7 |
25 stories matching note
- Greenbacks Earn Trust in Olympia
Citizens freely exchange Treasury notes for gold at par, signaling local faith in the Union cause.
- The Emancipation Proclamation Reaches Washington Territory
A brief editorial note acknowledges that the monumental news of the Emancipation Proclamation was delayed in the local press due to legislative reports.
- 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.
- Gold Rush Fever Hits Walla Walla
Fresh reports from the Salmon River mines ignite an immense excitement, drawing hopeful prospectors to the promise of incredible daily earnings.
- Territorial Superintendent Critiques School Spending
A report to the Legislature highlights the tension between building a university and funding basic district schools in 1862.
- The Plot to Hijack the Revenue Cutter
Confederate sympathizers were rumored to be conspiring to seize a U.S. revenue cutter in the Puget Sound, heightening Civil War tensions in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Battle of the Mail Carriers
A postal contractor hits back at critics who accused him of corruption and canoe-based mail delivery in the rough early days of the territory's infrastructure.
- The Heated Debate Over 'Shaving' Greenbacks
Washington Territorial legislators clashed over a bill aimed at criminalizing the devaluation of federal currency, pitting economic protectionism against constitutional theory.
- Accusations of Corruption in the Indian Department
Local outrage flares over alleged embezzlement of government funds intended for the Indian Department.
- The Governor’s Vision for a Growing Territory
Governor William Pickering addresses the 1862 Legislature, detailing the critical needs of a frontier rapidly filling with settlers and miners.
- The Territory's Thin Ledger
A look at the precarious finances of Washington Territory in 1862, from debts to the cost of territorial convicts.
- The Battle for the Capitol Library
Acting-Governor Henry McGill blocks the removal of the Territorial Library to Vancouver, citing conflicting laws and an ongoing federal dispute over the Seat of Government.
- The Struggle for Currency in Wartime Olympia
Merchants in Olympia face criticism for devaluing federal 'greenbacks' at the expense of local laborers.
- The Chaos of Washington's Pre-Civil War Legislature
As the nation teetered on the brink of war, Olympia's Eighth Legislative Session descended into partisan bickering, salary disputes, and frantic attempts to define Washington Territory's loyalty to the Union.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Unpopular Appointment of B. F. Kendall
Public outcry swells across Washington Territory against the controversial selection of a local lawyer as the new Indian Superintendent.
- 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 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 San Juan Island Standoff
Tensions between American settlers and British authorities on San Juan Island flare in the territorial legislature, sparking a debate over sovereignty and the treatment of American interests.
- The Bachelor Frontiersmen of White River
An early settler describes the agricultural promise of the river valley and the social isolation of the men carving out homesteads in the dense wilderness.
- 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 Territorial Legislator and the Editor’s Ego
A fiery public feud erupts in 1861 between a Clark County representative and the editor of the Washington Standard, highlighting the volatile politics of the territorial legislature.
- The San Juan Island Forgery: A Soldier’s Scam and a Territorial Cover-Up
In the tense weeks of the Pig War standoff, a U.S. Army sergeant allegedly forged paymaster certificates to steal $1,604 from a local man in Olympia, sparking a legal battle that exposed corruption within the military ranks.