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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 9 |
| 1862 | 8 |
| 1863 | 4 |
22 stories matching sever
- Tragedy on the Pacific Coast
A boat carrying two men home to the Point William lighthouse swamped in the rough waters of Pacific County.
- Vancouver Block Destroyed by Fire
A massive blaze erupts in the early morning hours, causing thousands of dollars in property damage and leaving a man critically injured.
- Tensions Rise on the Upper Columbia
Miners and settlers report growing hostility as military protection is withdrawn from the frontier.
- 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 Shadow of Treason in the Territorial Legislature
Local pro-Union editors call out their colleagues and legislators for harboring sympathy for the Confederacy.
- An Escape on Scott Mountain
A prospector narrowly survives a harrowing encounter with an armed man while traveling through the rugged wilderness near Tumwater.
- 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.
- The Bishop’s Plea for Vancouver’s Orphans
With fifty children in their care and resources dwindling, the Sisters of Charity face an uncertain future.
- The Bishop's Plea for Vancouver's Orphans
Facing mounting debt, the Sisters of Charity turn to the public to keep their doors open for fifty destitute children.
- 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.
- Public Brawl Erupts at the Simcoe Indian Agency
A political power struggle between the Superintendent of Indian Affairs and a suspended agent descends into a physical fight involving guns and local partisans.
- The Bold Bid for a New Pacific Emporium
Speculators and city-builders are betting millions on a new town at the mouth of the Columbia River, hoping to eclipse Portland and Victoria as the premier trading hub of the North.
- 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.
- A May Day Celebration on Chambers Prairie
While war clouds gathered on the horizon, the citizens of Olympia took to the countryside to celebrate May Day with a traditional picnic, Maypole, and dancing.
- The Struggle for an Inland Route
Olympia’s leadership frets that without a wagon road over the Cascades, the capital city risks losing its status to the burgeoning trade of the Upper Columbia.
- 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.
- An Ill-Fated Fishing Excursion to Brown's Wharf
Local residents charter a boat named 'Union' for a fishing trip, only to end up mud-bound and fishless.
- 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 Town Takes a Stand Against Domestic Abuse
Forty-three women in Olympia sign a resolution formally denouncing a local man for his history of violence against his wife and children.
- 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.