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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1887 | 3 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 9 |
| 1890 | 3 |
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| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 7 |
| 1895 | 8 |
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| 1902 | 1 |
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| 1904 | 5 |
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| 1909 | 3 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1918 | 1 |
83 stories matching briefli
- The Knight in Blue: Officer Grant’s Chivalrous Knife Work Saves a Tacoma Lady
When a piece of lace tore during the Christian Endeavor convention, one Seattle policeman didn't just offer sympathy—he offered his pocketknife and a bow.
- The Girls Locked in the Walla Walla Jail
Two young women who went missing were briefly detained by police, much to their dismay.
- The 'Washington Security' Swindle
A California resident discovers that a Seattle firm is a phantom operation.
- Sheriff’s Raid on Pike Street Diner
A debt collection turned into a brawl at a Pike Street restaurant, resulting in the cook being put in irons.
- A Mysterious Man Walks Into Police Headquarters
A well-dressed young man appeared at the Seattle police station fearing he was a wanted criminal, but the truth proved less dramatic.
- A Near-Fatal Plunge at the Seattle Waterfront
A young boy fell into the dark, freezing waters of the bay, sparking a desperate rescue attempt that left the child unconscious and the city briefly breathless.
- The Prize Apple Was Stuffed With Shot
A judge's suspicion at the Spokane fair exposed a prank that briefly put a Wilbur exhibitor's reputation on the line.
- Plumbers Strike and Demand Wage Hike
Spokane master plumbers face a complete work stoppage as journeymen strike for better pay, sparking fears of a broader construction crisis.
- The School Parade That Stopped Seattle
When the Territorial University students marched through downtown in 1889, it was a display of civic pride and collegiate spirit that briefly halted the city's bustling commerce.
- The Jailer’s Mysterious Absence
A police inquiry into the escape of a prisoner who slipped away while his guard was supposedly busy with locksmiths.
- Professional Baseball Threatened in Tacoma
Faced with financial instability, the Tacoma baseball club briefly considers folding, only to be saved by a local fundraising effort.
- The Quiet Passing of an Early Settler
Ellen Francis Hewlett, one of the first women to establish a home in North Yakima, passes away after a long illness.
- A Knockout at the Walla Walla Athletic Club
A boxing match ends in less than a round, leaving the crowd stunned and the challenger dazed.
- The Minister’s Daughter and the Forged Bond
A Newport minister’s teenage daughter is jailed for forgery, released on bond, briefly missing from court, and sentenced to Walla Walla—while her father fights to recover his $1,000.
- The Six-Hour Coup
A corrupt acting mayor attempts to replace the police chief to open the city to gamblers, only to be overruled upon the mayor’s return.
- When Tacoma Protestants Told the Pope to Stay Out of Their Lodges
A 2,500-person rally in Tacoma’s Armory Hall denounces a papal edict against secret societies, blending fraternal pride with fierce anti-Catholic nativism.
- The Walla Walla Candy Company Changes Hands
After four years of growth, a local candy wholesaler retires to manage property, selling his business to a former grocery man.
- A Low Bidder Cries Foul Over Tacoma’s New Water Pipes
Charges of inferior material and work outside the contract were briefly cleared—until affidavits from a lower bidder forced a fresh council inquiry.
- The Mob Violence Trial That Shook 1885 Seattle
A jury acquits a man accused of murdering Chinese laborers in Squak Valley, sparking chaotic courtroom protests.
- The Failed Recall of Benton County Commissioners
A political movement to unseat local officials fizzles out as residents and neighboring papers dismiss the effort as unnecessary discord.
- The Olympia Deadlock and the Ghost of James G. Blaine
While Washington legislators wrestled with a stalled senatorial election, the shock of James G. Blaine's death briefly brought a rare moment of bipartisan unity to the statehouse.
- The Midnight Escape from the Smallpox Ward
A star baseball player stages a daring rescue of his wife from a quarantine hospital to catch a train for a new job.
- Workers Surprise Their Tunnel Superintendent
A crew of men working on the Lake Union sewer tunnel show their appreciation with a gold-tipped ebony walking stick.
- The Salmon War on the Columbia River
A standoff between commercial poachers and the law tests the authority of Washington Territory’s leadership.
- The Embroidered Vow: A Victorian Romance in Seattle
When an accident leaves a young woman scarred, she retreats from society, only to discover a secret message stitched into a handmade cushion.