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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 10 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 10 |
| 1860 | 4 |
| 1861 | 18 |
| 1862 | 6 |
| 1863 | 6 |
| 1865 | 3 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 24 |
| 1876 | 89 |
| 1877 | 78 |
| 1878 | 36 |
| 1879 | 5 |
| 1880 | 28 |
| 1882 | 13 |
| 1883 | 85 |
| 1884 | 78 |
| 1885 | 112 |
| 1886 | 70 |
| 1887 | 71 |
| 1888 | 70 |
| 1889 | 179 |
| 1890 | 32 |
| 1891 | 151 |
| 1892 | 499 |
| 1893 | 524 |
| 1894 | 393 |
| 1895 | 320 |
| 1897 | 5 |
| 1898 | 28 |
| 1899 | 62 |
| 1900 | 17 |
| 1902 | 9 |
| 1903 | 186 |
| 1904 | 181 |
| 1905 | 6 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1908 | 42 |
| 1909 | 174 |
| 1910 | 34 |
| 1911 | 14 |
| 1912 | 9 |
| 1914 | 17 |
| 1915 | 22 |
| 1916 | 48 |
| 1917 | 18 |
| 1918 | 5 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 15 |
| 1925 | 4 |
| 1928 | 2 |
3,835 stories matching claim
- A Railroad Beats a Homesteader Over a Tacoma Land Claim
Judge Gilbert rules James De Lacey abandoned his claim before the Northern Pacific land grant, but De Lacey will appeal.
- The Widow of the Woods
A woman refuses to cede timber land claimed by her two late husbands, daring anyone to trespass on her property.
- The Claim-Jumper Who Hired a Man to Sleep on His Land
A wanted land locater near South Bend left his wife and children on a contested homestead and used a hired sleeper to guard three other claims—until neighbors called his bluff.
- A Landmark Ruling for Donation Land Claims
The federal government establishes a precedent for canceling land claims after a Puyallup Valley settler failed to live on his property.
- Mining Claims vs. Townsites in Republic
A landmark land office ruling clarifies whether land should be used for mining or settlement.
- The Supreme Court Rules on Street Grading Liability
The Washington State Supreme Court clarifies the statute of limitations for damage claims against the City of Seattle.
- Northwestern Washington Tribes Win Right to Sue for Treaty Lands
A new bill allows tribes to take historical land claims against the government to the court of claims.
- The Rattlesnake Oil Fever
A speculative frenzy grips the region as residents flock to file claims in hopes of striking it rich.
- Mining Conflict at the Swauk
Tensions rise in the Kittitas Valley as miners clash over labor practices and claim ownership.
- Vigilantes Burn Settler's Cabin at Hoko River
A Seattle man is left homeless after a masked party of seven enforced their claim on the Hoko River by fire.
- The Railroad Reaches for Marshall Lake's Mines
Northern Pacific applies for a land patent covering worked mining claims near Marshall Lake, and claim owners prepare to fight.
- The Battle for Seattle's Soul: Who Owns the City?
As the Northern Pacific Railroad, wealthy speculators, and the City of Seattle clash in Olympia over a massive land claim, the future of Seattle’s streets and growth hangs in the balance.
- Protests Against the White River Ditch
A contentious battle over land damages and irrigation pits the county commissioners against local landowners, headed for court.
- Judge Carey Rules for the Silver-Lead Company in Metaline Claim Fight
A Stevens County court decision turned on whether assessment work had been done on valuable lead claims in 1905—and the mining district was watching.
- The Dollar Deed: How a Husband’s ‘Gift’ to His Wife Cost Him His Land Claim
In a dispute over who settled first on public land, the Register of the Olympia Land Office ruled that W.S. Fish could not claim priority because he had technically transferred his donation claim to his wife for just one dollar.
- The Land Company That Claimed Puget Sound — and the Settlers Who Fought Back
A federal surveyor's report from Olympia questioned the sprawling British land claims around Steilacoom and Fort Steilacoom, siding with American settlers who had built farms inside the company's alleged grant.
- The Swindled Investor and the 'Silver Mine' Scam
A Seattle real estate dealer is arrested after selling fake claims to a nonexistent silver mine, sparking a heated legal battle and a courtroom confrontation.
- The Great Seattle Manhole Swindle
A persistent insurance claim agent uncovers a ring of traveling grifters who fooled the city council into paying thousands for imaginary injuries.
- Monte Cristo’s Residents vs. the Placer Claim
A federal commissioner orders a new hearing in the fight over whether a mining claim swallowed a Snohomish County townsite.
- The Hidden Stakes in Seattle's Founding
A legal dispute over Dr. David Maynard’s 640-acre donation claim reveals the overlooked property rights of his late wife, Lydia A. Maynard.
- The Bureaucratic Battle for the Yakima Valley’s Water
Federal engineers issue an ultimatum: clear the state’s land claims or lose government irrigation for the entire region.
- The Government Bans 'Holy Moses' Mining Claims
A federal ruling in Washington state aims to put a stop to 'tenderfoot' miners who give their claims offensive and profane names like 'Jumping Jesus.'
- The Ghost Gold of the Columbia
An amateur inventor claims to have solved the age-old problem of harvesting microscopic gold dust from the banks of the Columbia River.
- The Shantytown Showdown
While the city council debates the impeachment of the police chief, the residents of Seattle's 'Shantytown' organize a desperate legal defense against eviction.
- The Forgotten Settlers of Gray's River
Homesteaders who bought land from the Northern Pacific Railroad face eviction after the government declares the company's title invalid.