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1. The Betting Frenzy at Pacific and Tenth

   A high-stakes municipal election turns Tacoma’s city center into a chaotic, money-soaked spectacle where candidates bet on themselves and crowds swarm the streets in political delirium.

   Apr 5, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

2. The Ten-Cent Bet That Backfired

   An Everett light company employee tried to bluff a union man over strike-related power outages, but ended up losing his confidence and his pride.

   Dec 23, 1910The Labor JournalEverett, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

3. The Lock and the Bunko Men: How Two Hop Pickers Turned the Tables on a Seattle Con Artist

   Richard Sullivan, a bunko man with a Tacoma headquarters, was convicted of petty larceny after swindling two Indian boys on the City dock.

   Sep 1, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

4. Post-Election Wheelbarrow Rides and Wharf-Side Pranks

   Seattle workers settle political debts with public spectacles and humiliating bets after the 1892 election.

   Nov 12, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFourth Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

5. The $10,000 Bet That Built Seattle’s Front Street

   Superintendent Thompson risks a fortune to beat the calendar, while a separate land dispute erupts over tide flats near Grant Street.

   Mar 1, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

6. The Betting Scandal at the Post-Intelligencer

   When a glove contest turned sour, a local newspaper found itself at the center of a legal battle over gambling stakes and the role of the press as an impartial stakeholder.

   Jan 3, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerBlack Diamond, King CountyNightlife

7. The High-Stakes Senate Betting Scandal

   A political showdown over the U.S. Senate seat between Judge Calkins and Senator Watson C. Squire turns into a frantic, high-dollar gambling display in an Olympia hotel lobby.

   Jan 11, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia Hotel, Olympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

8. The Tragic Cost of a Local Election Bet

   A Tacoma restaurant owner took his own life after reportedly wagering his last ninety dollars on a mayoral candidate.

   Apr 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPacific Avenue & 14th Street, Tacoma, Pierce County

9. The Snake in the Parlor: How Two Con Artists Drained an Elderly Man Dry

   In May 1877, John Dowd and his accomplice targeted a respected Seattle citizen with a fake land deal, winning his trust before stealing his watch, cash, and dignity at a local saloon.

   May 17, 1877The Daily IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

10. The Gambler Who Won by Losing His Mind

    A Seattle street scene from 1876 reveals a bizarre twist on luck: a man wins $50 not by knowing the score, but by believing he did.

    Oct 10, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSecond Street, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

11. The High-Stakes Wager on Walla Walla's Marshal Race

    Election fever reaches a fever pitch as local bettors drop thousands on a tight race for police chief.

    Jul 10, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

12. The Price of a Lost Election Bet

    After betting on the wrong presidential candidate, a local man spent his afternoon forced to play a hand organ for charity to settle his debt.

    Nov 15, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

13. A Legislature in the Homestretch: Saloons, Gambling and a Fight Over Pledges

    With days left in Olympia, Washington lawmakers weigh local option, an anti-racetrack law, a sweeping criminal code and a bill aimed at unions and suffragists.

    Feb 18, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentOlympia, Thurston CountyWork & Pay · City Hall · Nightlife

14. The Kent Races: Peanuts, Lemonade, and Suspicion

    While the crowds at the Kent track grew, the betting remained sluggish amid rumors of a fixed race.

    Jun 25, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerKent, King CountyNightlife

15. The Price of Populist Fervor

    A political debate over the gubernatorial race ends with a local Populist organizer losing his own money in a ill-advised bet.

    Sep 9, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

16. The Whole Lake Turns Out: Seattle's 1894 Rowing Championship

    Crews from Portland, Vancouver and the Burrard Inlet club row for the senior cup off Madrona Park, with the finish line at the foot of Madison Street and every boat on Lake Washington pressed into spectator service.

    Aug 17, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

17. The Poker Con on the Anacortes Train

    An unwary traveler loses twenty-five dollars to professional card sharps after a distraction at the window.

    Feb 3, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

18. The 'Rich Deed' That Wasn't: Snohomish’s Wild Gold Rush Hoax and the Community’s Reality Check

    A sensational tale of a legendary gold mine in Snohomish captivated locals, but the paper quickly pivots to a sobering assessment of the lumber industry's financial struggles and the region's agricultural potential.

    Jan 22, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust · True Crime

19. The Political War of the Sound: Tacoma versus Seattle

    As gubernatorial candidate John H. McGraw barnstorms the state, Tacoma’s political elite launch a bitter, personal smear campaign against him, citing his connection to Seattle's growth.

    Oct 25, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

20. The Political Brawl Over the Seattle Canal

    A Yakima newspaper accuses a 'Seattle ring' of bribery and electoral intimidation as local races heat up.

    Nov 3, 1892The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyCity Hall

21. The Professor, the President, and the Champagne College Deal

    A legislative investigation at Pullman exposes secret opposition, abandoned building plans, and site-selection hospitality that included brass bands and champagne.

    Feb 18, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPullman, Whitman CountyCity Hall · Scandal

22. The Neighborhood War on Jefferson Avenue

    A Seattle dispute between neighbors over slanderous accusations and a bizarre $20 bet leads to a court appearance and community tension.

    May 22, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerJefferson Avenue, Seattle, King CountyScandal

23. The Bunko Men, the Norwegian Sisters, and the Saloonkeeper's Revenge

    A shell-game gang swindles two Norwegian sisters out of $300 on the Seattle waterfront; Frank Hart is convicted in three minutes, then a saloonkeeper assaults one of his accusers outside court.

    Jun 20, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

24. A Fourth of July Rivalry

    A competitive spirit boiled over between Yakima and Ellensburg, culminating in heavy betting and a frantic hose team race.

    Jul 9, 1891The Yakima HeraldYakima Avenue, Yakima, Yakima CountyNightlife

25. The $5.5 Million Bet That Would Reshape Seattle's Waterfront

    St. Louis investors sign on to fill the tide flats and dig a canal linking Lake Washington to Puget Sound, betting Seattle will become the Pacific coast's leading city.

    Jan 10, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

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