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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 4 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1903 | 1 |
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23 stories matching beck
- Two Preachers, One Real-Estate Boom, and a Referee’s Biblical Burn
In 1892 Seattle, ministers sold Ravenna Park lots from the pulpit—then sued each other over the commissions.
- The Senator Who Called a Race 'Hell on Wheels'
In the smoke-filled backroom of the Seattle Jockey Club in 1888, U.S. Senators discussed tariffs and whiskey while recounting a chaotic horse race where the crowd 'yelled like demons' and hats flew like confetti.
- The Battle for Ravenna Park: When Seattle’s Elite Tried to Buy Out the Public
In May 1899, a private park association posted trespassing warnings and threatened legal action against streetcar passengers, sparking a fierce public debate over whether Seattle’s green spaces belonged to the people or their wealthy owners.
- The Dream of Ravenna Park: A Victorian Utopia in the Pines
Promoted as a 'city of churches' and culture, W.W. Beck’s ambitious Ravenna development sought to mirror an Italian paradise on the shores of Lake Washington.
- Two Loggers Perish in Sub-Zero Tragedy
A falling tree claims the lives of two lumbermen near Elk, leaving their frozen bodies to be recovered by search parties.
- Home Lost in Afternoon Fire
A northern Yakima house is reduced to ash while a mother tends to her sick child.
- Ballard Watchman Charged with Murder
A night watchman is held on a $2,500 bond after shooting an unarmed laborer in Ballard.
- The Senate's Sudden Revolt Against Corporate Power
In an unexpected political shift, the U.S. Senate moves to curb the influence of corporations on Congress, shaking up the power dynamics in Washington Territory and beyond.
- The Tariff That Stole Your Coat: How Washington's Economy Was Held Hostage
In October 1890, Aberdeen workers and farmers felt the bite of the McKinley Tariff before it even passed, as prices soared and wages stagnated in a state where 'free labor' was being priced out of existence.
- The Collector’s Trap: A Seattle Customs Scandal
A clever merchant’s attempt to recoup a fine through a legislative loophole backfires, leaving him out $500 in an era of federal bureaucracy.
- The Saloon Wars: How Seattle’s Council Killed the Fight to Ban Bars from Residential Streets
In a heated March 1904 council meeting, reformers fought to keep saloons off streets where wives and children walked. The measure failed, revealing deep corruption and the powerful grip of liquor interests on city government.
- Fatal Shooting at a Ballard Mill
A night watchman kills an intoxicated millhand during an arrest attempt, highlighting the volatile nature of labor camp policing.
- Yakima Democrats Nominate Full Slate at 1892 County Convention
Party faithful gathered in North Yakima to pick candidates, adopt a platform, and vow to clean up state government.
- The Mountains Closed: Stockmen Fight the Cascade Forest Reserve
Eastern Washington's cattle and sheep men warn that locking up the Cascades as a federal forest reserve would beggar every valley town — and train their anger on the Yakama Reservation boundary, which they want opened to their herds.
- The Bid to Bring Whitworth College to Seattle
A committee from the Chamber of Commerce scrambled to secure land donations in 1899 to woo Whitworth College to relocate, pitting Seattle neighborhoods against Tacoma’s industrial waterfront.
- The Unlucky Clerk of Ballard
A city clerk-elect struggles to secure his required $5,000 bond after his sureties back out, reportedly due to his stance on the location of a new railway hub.
- The Unchecked Movement of 'Worthless' Buildings
A local editor slams lax city ordinances after a businessman relocates a derelict building into the heart of Yakima.
- The Mystery of the Lost Tent Mine
Twenty-two years after a rich gold strike in the Cascades, a party of prospectors still hunts for their abandoned fortune.
- Clerks Win Shorter Workdays in Walla Walla
After organizing and negotiating with major retailers, the local clerks' association successfully secures earlier closing hours.
- The Price of Questionable Governance
A critical report on Chehalis County finances highlights high costs and questionable payments to negotiators, fueling political shifts ahead of the November election.
- The Real Estate Boom at Ronton Addition
Investors and business leaders scramble to buy into Seattle's rapid expansion.
- Railroad Division Moves to Walla Walla
The Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company relocates its third division headquarters, promising new jobs and infrastructure to the city.
- The City That Vanished: Seattle’s First Real Estate Bubble and the Ghosts of Terry’s Addition
A look back at January 1890, when Seattle’s land boom was in full swing, prices were soaring, and developers like George Dorffel were selling lots in new subdivisions to speculators eager for a quick profit.
Also about this, in other words
- A Sudden End in the Woods
A young immigrant worker killed by a falling limb near Seattle highlights the perils of early logging.
- A Saloon Brawl and the Logic of 'Reddy' Long
After wrecking a lunch counter and brandishing brass knuckles, a man offers the court a grim critique of Seattle's drinking culture.
- A Deadly Struggle in Bremerton
A man attempted to murder a local youth, but in the ensuing struggle, his own weapon turned against him with lethal consequences.
- The Deadly Man-Trap of Whatcom
A man is held without bail after a spring-gun trap set on his property results in a fatal shooting.
- A Warhorse Against the Political Machine
A frustrated Democratic candidate exposes a 'mutual admiration society' in Whatcom County politics, alleging corruption in the appointment of local postmasters.
- A Dispute Over Money Ends With a Shot Through the Kidneys Near the White River
John Morse of Seattle shoots a man near Steele's Landing over money matters and escapes; the wounded man is not expected to live.
- A Scantling Scuffle at the Boom
A simmering dispute over local timber booms erupts in violence at Chenoise Creek.
- A Close Call for a Young Girl
A man is held for trial after attempting to assault a girl at his cabin near the foot of Pike Street.