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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 3 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1903 | 3 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1917 | 2 |
22 stories matching backyard
- The Backyard Brawl That Rattled 1882 Seattle
A neighborhood dispute over a ballgame turned physical, prompting a public argument in the local paper about the nature of justice and the legitimacy of 'backyard' law.
- The Unfiltered Reality of Tacoma’s Water
An exposé reveals that the city's water supply flume runs through backyards and cesspools, gathering filth before reaching the tap.
- The Great Sewer Standoff of 1889
For twelve months, Seattle leaders have talked, debated, and planned a modern sewerage system—while the city’s backyards and alleys continue to breed disease.
- The Neighborhood Kids’ Backyard Circus
A group of North Yakima children stage a backyard circus complete with a dog-drawn chariot, an educated rooster, and an ill-fated mule.
- The Great Yakima River Fish War
Local leaders are locked in a standoff with the state government over salmon rights during food shortages.
- The Tragedy of a Backyard Stream
A toddler’s unsupervised play ends in a heartbreaking drowning in a narrow irrigation ditch, highlighting the perils of a growing city.
- The Raspberry Bush Manhunt
A teenage jewel peddler leads Everett police on a frantic chase through a private backyard.
- Tragedy in the Timber: A Pioneer's Fatal Accident
A newlywed husband is widowed in a freak accident when a tree, toppled by the great storm of 1891, crushes his wife in their own backyard.
- A Barber Died Behind the Saloon. The Coroner Blamed One Soldier — Then the Other One Walked Out of the Guardhouse.
A Ballard inquest names Joseph Veno in the clubbing death of barber James Sullivan, but when Veno's companion slips out of the Fort Lawton guardhouse, the soldiers begin to wonder which man actually swung the club.
- A Massive New Landmark for Seattle
Construction begins on a state-of-the-art Catholic hospital, featuring the city’s first steam elevator and a futuristic ventilation system to serve the rapidly growing region.
- The Great Maple Valley Bear Panic
When a black bear wandered into their backyard, a frontier couple abandoned their home and fled on horseback to escape the 'ferocious' beast.
- The Town Council Declares War on Filth
A sweeping new health ordinance outlaws backyard pigsties, mandates watertight privy vaults, and grants city officials the power to condemn contaminated wells.
- Russell Conwell Urges Tacoma to Find Its Own 'Acres of Diamonds'
The famous orator visits the First Christian Church to challenge Tacoma residents to recognize the latent wealth and potential in their own backyard.
- The Town Goes to the Dogs
A state-mandated rabies quarantine forces Kennewick residents to muzzle their dogs or face the consequences.
- A Green Lake Home Lost to Flames
A handsome residence near Green Lake is destroyed by fire while the family is away, leaving behind only the memory of a swing in the backyard.
- A Backyard Tragedy in Ballard
A young girl is severely burned while playing near a rubbish fire during spring cleaning.
- A Backyard Chemistry Disaster
An attempt to follow official advice for killing aphids leads to a dangerous explosion in a Tacoma garden.
- The Midnight Pork-Thieves of Belltown
A wave of petty food thefts from residential pantries has Seattle neighbors on edge, prompting warnings about the 'nocturnal nippers' prowling the city's outskirts.
- The Peril of Backyard Marksmanship
A Deep Creek Falls woman’s attempt to shoot a hawk ends in a gruesome accident that serves as a cautionary tale about home gun safety.
- The Great Chicken Flood of 1892
When the waters of Grays Harbor rose in the night, the town's backyard livestock paid the ultimate price in a bizarre local tragedy.
- The Great Strawberry Goat Caper
A backyard dispute over a fence-breaking goat results in a police court standoff.
- The Chicken Hustle of Old Seattle
An enterprising pair of thieves managed to con a local woman out of her own dinner in a brazen backyard heist.
Also about this, in other words
- The Seattle Brick Yard Hustle of 1876
As Seattle began its transformation into a permanent industrial center, local entrepreneurs rushed to secure supplies for the inevitable building boom.
- The Neighborhood Feud Over a Garden
A minor dispute over a neighbor's dog destroying a vegetable garden escalates into a court case involving a physical altercation.
- The Making of a Suburb
A speculative land development project christened 'Sunnyside' promises a model residential section and a dedicated site for a state capital.
- The Chicken Yard Brawl
A trespassing dispute in the Walla Walla addition escalates from fence-line bickering to a public wrestling match.
- Seattle Picks Up the Hammer: A Kindergarten, a Church and a Dozen New Homes
With confidence returning after the hard times, builders break ground on the Bailey Gatzert free kindergarten at Twelfth and Norman, finish a German church at Tenth and Stewart, and raise modern homes from Queen Anne to the south side.
- The Artisans of the Foundation
A glimpse into the heavy labor and craftsmanship that quite literally built the streets and structures of early Seattle.
- The 'Little Hatchets' of Commercial Street
Vandals are destroying shade trees in downtown Seattle, prompting local residents to demand authorities intervene against the neighborhood boys.
- A Soggy Fourth of July at the Ballpark
Rain and firecrackers dampen the spirits at a lackluster match between the Maroons and Bellingham Bay.