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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1894 | 6 |
| 1895 | 6 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1909 | 4 |
| 1916 | 2 |
49 stories matching commot
- The $1,000 Bill and the Hatchet in the Hallway
Arthur Neal chased his wife Jennie through a Front Street lodging house after a missing banknote; Jennie Neal went downtown to seek peace bonds.
- A Hunter's Bear Hug Nearly Becomes His Last
Adam Mechling shot at what he took for a fawn in the Skagit County woods and found himself beneath a 300-pound she bear.
- Fire Scare at South Eighth and Dearborn
A fire in a small stand caused a panic among nearby residents, who mistook a white man’s warning for a police raid.
- The Octopus and the Seal: A Local Captain’s War Against a Washington Monopoly
In 1901, Port Townsend resident James G. Swan published affidavits from experienced hunters to debunk Professor Elliott’s claim that seal pups sink like stones, exposing the Alaska Commercial Company’s stranglehold on federal policy.
- The Newsboys' War Against the Ledger
Tacoma’s newspaper war turns street-level as organized newsboys mobilize to block the sale of a scab publication.
- The West Seattle Intruder
A night watchman’s wife attempts suicide after a violent confrontation with a ship's officer in their home.
- Three Thousand Boosters Eat, Cheer, and Rebrand Tacoma
One night in February 1909: 3,000 boosters packed the armory, picked a new city slogan — 'You'll Like Tacoma' — and got sermons on land, liquor, and who should own the tide flats.
- The Tacoma Water Swindle Scandal
Taxpayers demand an investigation into claims that city officials engaged in criminal fraud during the procurement of the municipal water system.
- Two Steamers Saluted Off Cape Flattery—Then Vanished Into the Storm
A schooner captain’s account places the missing Keweenaw and Montserrat together off Washington’s coast on a night of monstrous seas, just before both were lost.
- The Police Sweep Through Whitechapel
A massive police crack-down on the city's red-light district leads to crowded courtrooms and a battle over jury trials.
- The Attempt to Keep Ah Och Out
A federal court hearing reveals a suspected plot among Seattle's Chinese community to prevent a merchant from landing.
- Labor Dispute Leads to Stand-off on City Dock
Striking railroad workers, unpaid and hungry, threaten their contractor after being stranded in Seattle.
- The Blazing Omaha Lodging House
A fire breaks out in a South Main Street boarding house, leaving residents to flee as firefighters narrowly prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures.
- The Blaine Fisherman Who Pulled Seven People Out of the Water and Never Told Anyone
Hans Nielson is 24 years old, slight of build, and has saved seven lives in ten years — two in Denmark, five around Blaine — and calls each rescue a thing 'only incidental to the life of a water toiler.'
- The Great North Seattle Fire Engine Turf War
A bitter neighborhood battle erupts over the city’s decision to move vital fire equipment, exposing growing pains in a rapidly expanding 1885 Seattle.
- The Lobby Shootout: A Political Brawl in Tacoma
When an ex-mayor and a police chief faced off in a hotel lobby, tensions over local politics and public reputation turned into a chaotic, pistol-waving standoff.
- A Family Feud Erupts at the Train Depot
A lawyer attempts to forcibly reclaim his children from his estranged wife at the train station, sparking a public spectacle.
- City Sewerage System Fails Residents
High water levels turn a poorly installed sewer line into a neighborhood health hazard in South Tacoma.
- Clearing the Beach Squatters
City authorities order the removal of squatters living on the tide lands as the city begins to enforce strict land claims.
- The Northern Pacific Offers Strikers a Last Chance—With Strings Attached
General Manager Kendrick says former employees can reapply after the Pullman strike, but only if they were not leaders or agitators—and they will rank behind the men hired to replace them.
- State House Scandals Force Reckoning
Legislative committee tightens the net around officials amid corruption allegations.
- The Boiler That Killed Safety: How Neglect Nearly Sank the Oliver Walcott
A steamboat captain’s repeated warnings about a faulty boiler were ignored by department officials until the vessel burst into the dock at Port Townsend, leaving it stranded for repairs.
- Bismarck’s Bluff: Germany Claims Samoa While Washington Watches
As the German Chancellor declares no treaty prevents his nation from seizing control of the Pacific islands, U.S. officials in Washington struggle to respond to a diplomatic crisis that threatens American interests across the ocean.
- Street Brawl Erupts as Police Attempt Arrest
A routine police arrest for prostitution in a boarding house spiraled into a violent scuffle between officers and the proprietor.
- The Old Town Merry-Go-Round Uproar
A carnival attraction at North 29th and Carr streets is driving neighbors to distraction, leading to a swarm of police calls.
Also about this, in other words
- Tragedy in Succotash Valley
A pioneer farmer is killed while clearing land, leaving his wife to discover the gruesome scene in their remote homestead.
- The Real Estate Gambles of Pioneer Seattle
A historic real estate listing reveals the precarious nature of land titles in early Seattle and the high-stakes land development following the death of P.C. Comstock.
- One Comma Turned a Lost Boy’s Police Bulletin Into a Station-House Joke
A five-year-old lost and found at the Seattle police station became a lesson in punctuation when a missing comma made his uncle sound like a man named John Chestnut.
- The Real Estate Fire Sale of the Comstock Estate
A court-ordered liquidation of downtown Seattle property hits the market, signaling the rapid consolidation of city center land during the late 19th-century boom.
- A Sinking Buggy, a Borrowed Team, and a Reservation About to Open
In 1892 a newspaperman packed his wife and infant into a rickety buggy to cross the soon-to-open Colville Reservation, fording the Kettle River and leaning on Native families along the way.
- Theater Patron Swindled at The Comique
A local man claims he was robbed by theater managers and a companion after purchasing wine and beer.
- A Bitter Business Rivalry Ends in Court
An accusation of boat theft between former business partners in Whatcom reveals a long-standing feud and allegations of 'cinching'.
- The Uncontested Bid for School Director
Aberdeen’s local newspaper urges a unanimous vote to keep the current school board intact during the upcoming election.