Research the archive

• “bridal” ×

1. The Forgotten Heroines of the Oregon Trail

   A look back at the arduous 1838 bridal trek across the continent to a missionary post in the Colville country.

   Mar 2, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerYakima, Yakima County

2. The Duke Who Dropped In: A Wealthy Widow Marries a British Peer in Seattle

   On June 20, 1898, the Mayor of Seattle officiated the wedding of Mrs. Hammarskjöld and the Duke of Marlborough, drawing crowds and high-society witnesses to City Hall.

   Jun 30, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

3. The Telegraphers Who Spilled Too Much Tea

   Two railroad telegraph operators make the mistake of gossiping about a bridal couple over the wire, only to find the groom is a company superintendent.

   Sep 4, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

4. The Skagit Farm Courtroom Battle

   A landmark inheritance case hinged on the validity of an 1880s marriage between a white settler and a Swinomish woman.

   Mar 20, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSkagit City, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

5. Marriage at the Center of an Exclusion Crisis

   A Seattle couple's travel plans are halted by the Chinese Restriction Act, sparking a legal struggle for their right to move freely.

   Mar 10, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyExclusion & Resistance

6. Engineers Say Snoqualmie Falls Can Light the Sound

   A New York journal sizes up the 260-foot falls at 18,000 horsepower and predicts a company will soon wire Seattle and Tacoma to the river.

   Apr 7, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSnoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie, King CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

7. The Wedding of Sally Feet

   A rare glimpse into the life of an Indigenous bride and her Chinese groom in the 1880s, amidst the backdrop of strict exclusion laws.

   Jul 2, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerOysterville, Pacific CountyExclusion & Resistance · Scandal

8. A Diplomatic Dilemma at the Border

   Hon. John Leary and his wife, returning from their honeymoon in Japan, found themselves stranded at the Victoria quarantine station, leading to a strange battle of bureaucracy.

   Jul 30, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

9. The Governor’s Daughter Weds Beneath Ivy and Calla Lilies

   Olympia’s St. John’s Episcopal Church filled with hundreds as Lizzie Ferry married Hon. John Leary, then a steamer carried the wedding party to the governor’s mansion and on toward Japan.

   Apr 21, 1892The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyScandal

10. A Near-Miss at the Wedding of the Year

    During a massive public wedding at the Fruit Fair, a mix-up nearly led the justice to marry the wrong person.

    Oct 3, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyScandal

11. The Unsung Frontier: A New Era for Black Diamond

    Readers in the Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer get a rare, optimistic dispatch from the mining town of Black Diamond regarding its rapid development and natural beauty.

    Apr 8, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerGreen River, Black Diamond, King CountyBoom & Bust

12. The Broker Who Tried to Divorce His Wife Over a Finger Bowl

    A distressed stockbroker enters a Seattle law office seeking a divorce, only to find the legal requirements for ending a marriage in 1885 hilariously difficult to meet.

    Jun 12, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

13. The Wedding That Lit Up Snohomish: A Steamer’s Arrival and a Night of Revelry

    When the steamer Millie docked with its popular proprietor Benj. Smith Earp and his new bride, the town turned out in force for one of the most brilliant social events ever seen in Snohomish.

    Feb 10, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish County

14. The Unseen Labor of 1891 Seattle

    A single classified advertisement captures the presence and aspiration of Japanese laborers in the Pacific Northwest at the end of the 19th century.

    Jan 18, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay

15. A Public Wedding at the Fruit Fair

    A young couple takes their vows on the bandstand of the local fruit fair, turning a civil ceremony into a city-wide spectacle.

    Oct 2, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

16. The Band Serenades a Surprise Wedding

    A popular music teacher and the leader of the Aberdeen Cornet Band marry, only to be surprised by their own bandmates.

    Mar 24, 1892Aberdeen HeraldAberdeen, Grays Harbor County

Download all 16 as a spreadsheet (CSV)