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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 7 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 4 |
13 stories matching step
- Searching for the Wenatchee Mines
An expedition returns to Olympia after failing to reach the mountains, but reports finding vast, promising new territory.
- The Battle for the Cascades Franchise
Legislators trade accusations of 'blackmailing' and 'monopoly' while debating a massive infrastructure bill for the Columbia River.
- 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.
- An Editor Steps Down Amidst Political Intrigue
James Lodge defends his reputation after withdrawing from the Pioneer and Democrat, denying secret negotiations with Republican rivals.
- 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.
- The Case of the Missing Territorial Library Books
A government official alleges that a man named William Pickering purloined two packages of library books intended for public use.
- 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.
- 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 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 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 Unlikely Enforcer of a Party Game
A jealous husband at a frontier social insists his young wife receives equal attention—or else he will settle the matter with his fists.
- The Strange Case of the Seized Horse
A Port Townsend magistrate attempts to settle a private debt by seizing a horse that didn't belong to the debtor, sparking a procedural standoff.
- The Loyalty Oath of a Washington Surveyor
Public official James Tilton defends his reputation against accusations of secessionism during the onset of the Civil War.