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1. Leavenworth's Flaming Cycle

   For the third time in seven years, a massive fire tears through Leavenworth's business district, leaving town leaders to grapple with a lack of water, no fire department, and the question of how to rebuild from nothing.

   Jan 29, 1904The Leavenworth Echo (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-CurrentLeavenworth, Chelan CountyCity Hall · Disasters

2. The Day Washington Was Born: A City Holds Its Breath

   As the nation celebrates statehood, Seattle gathers in a packed hall to hear speeches on liberty, land fraud, and the future of the 'Queen City.'

   Feb 23, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

3. The Night Federal Agents Made Chinatown Show Its Papers

   A certificate sweep through Wa Chong’s rooms broke up card games and opium pipes and netted one man accused of lying in a deportation case.

   Jan 29, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

4. Ida May Love Went to Sea as 'Dan McArdle'

   A Whatcom newlywed walked out on her husband, her skirts and her name to serve seven weeks aboard the warship Monterey — and the Post-Intelligencer tracked her to a Leavenworth dance hall, where she was still talking about 'us boys.'

   Mar 10, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerLeavenworth, Chelan CountyLGBTQ+ Lives · Nightlife

5. A Widow's Accusation and a Rancher's Denial

   August Polinski, 68, is charged with assaulting his housekeeper near Camden; he calls the case a shakedown, and the hearing is postponed to Feb. 15.

   Jan 28, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentCamdenTrue Crime

6. The Whistle That Broke a Marriage: A Trainer’s Flight from His Own Scheme

   When Alfred Nickella’s wife bought a police whistle to protect herself from his threats, the device backfired spectacularly, sending the horse trainer fleeing Seattle in haste.

   Mar 31, 1899The Seattle StarSeattle, King CountyScandal

7. The Romantic Ruin of a Seattle Dreamer

   A young woman in 1878 Seattle finds her intellectual ambitions derailed by a fleeting, unequal affair with a local 'villain.'

   Aug 10, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

8. The Valley Sixty Miles From a Railroad

   In 1892, the Big Bottom settlers of Lewis County had no road, no sawmill and no rail line — just hand-hewn homes, packhorses, a tobacco-chewing cat, and a Fourth of July party for 160 neighbors.

   Jul 25, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMorton, Lewis CountyStrange But True

9. Island View Ranch Barn Destroyed by Fire

   A workshop and barn burned to the ground while the owners were away fishing.

   Oct 7, 1915The Kennewick Courier-ReporterKennewick, Benton CountyDisasters

10. A Palace on Rails Arrives in Newport

    Idaho Washington Northern's new Pullman coaches—steam-heated, electric-lit and brass-trimmed—began service out of Newport, promising a new through line to Spokane.

    Jan 23, 1908The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentNewport, Pend Oreille CountyBoom & Bust

11. The Great White Bluffs Trunk Caper

    A missing trunk leads to a frantic search, revealing only the power of a friendly favor.

    Feb 9, 1917White Bluffs SpokesmanWhite Bluffs, Benton CountyTrue Crime

12. The Blues of the Black River: A Walk Through Snohomish’s New Frontier

    A local resident takes a stroll through the muddy pastures and new homesteads near the Black River, finding beauty in the 'mounds' of ancient history and the promise of a fresh start for settlers.

    May 6, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

13. The Last Goodbye: A Seattle Widow’s Final Sermon

    Rev. I.W. Read delivers a poignant eulogy for Addie Z. Pross at Market Street Baptist, reflecting on her hopefulness and refusal to gossip in the face of sudden death.

    Jan 25, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMarket Street, Seattle, King County

14. The Goddess of Slang: A Poetic Flirtation in the Territory

    A whimsical verse from the late 19th century captures the playful, rhyming courtship rituals of Snohomish Territory, offering a glimpse into the lighthearted side of pioneer life.

    Feb 19, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

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