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52 stories matching constru
- Predatory Lending Against Tribal Land
Legal battle initiates to annul a property deed used as predatory collateral for a small cash loan.
- The Struggle for Rail Regulation
Washington's constitutional convention wrestles with whether to empower a commission to oversee railroad giants.
- The State Stakes Its Claim on the Shoreline
Washington Territory’s new constitution asserts public control over tide lands and navigable waters, setting a precedent for state ownership of the coast.
- The End of the 'Coolie Trade'
A new federal law moves to criminalize the transportation of indentured Chinese laborers on American ships.
- State Legislature Grants Cities Local Control
A landmark bill passes in Olympia, allowing smaller towns to incorporate and manage their own debts, fueling the boom of the 1890s.
- Political Infighting Hits Washington’s Young Agricultural College
Regents move to meet in North Yakima in an apparent power struggle to depose college president Warren Lilley.
- The Salmon War on the Columbia River
A standoff between commercial poachers and the law tests the authority of Washington Territory’s leadership.
- The Political Price of Free Trade in 1889
As Washington Territory prepared for statehood, a fierce political battle erupted over how the Mills Tariff Bill would impact local timber, coal, and iron industries.
- The Right to Get Paid
A landmark Washington Supreme Court ruling secures the rights of loggers to file collective liens against timber companies.
- The Temperance Debate Stirs King County Republicans
A local party platform faces internal friction as voters demand a clearer stance on the moral regulation of liquor sales.
- The Return of the Devotee
Rose Karasek returns to Tacoma after a stint abroad following the 'radio-active' teacher Josua Klein.
- The Logger’s Right to be Paid
A landmark Supreme Court decision upholds the right of loggers to place liens on timber they harvested, shielding laborers from corporate efforts to dodge payroll.
- Newport Voters Reject School Addition, 139 to 30
With classrooms filling and no fireproof building in sight, District No. 115 voted down an addition—leaving the board to rent rooms around town.
- The Battle for the Seattle Waterfront
As the Washington State Constitutional Convention nears its conclusion, delegates engage in a fierce final debate over the ownership of tide lands and the rights of the state versus private corporations.
- The Odd Fellows' Tug-of-War Over Permanence
Members of the Odd Fellows gather in Tacoma to debate moving their Grand Lodge headquarters to Seattle, highlighting a long-standing regional rivalry.
- The End of the Cattle Barons' Land Grab
Federal authorities tighten rules on soldiers' homestead claims to stop large cattle companies from using widows as proxies to secure public land.
- The Grand Hotel Suicide and the Two Men Who Weren't There
Carl Eggert's letters, translated after his death, describe imaginary pursuers, a son lost to suicide and a small estate divided with jarring practicality.
- The Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act
Three men arrested under the 1882 Exclusion Act face deportation despite claims of residency; Judge Hanford declares the legal rights of Chinese laborers effectively suspended.
- Police Power Struggle at City Hall
A failed political maneuver to purge a strict police captain reveals the deep fractures within Seattle's municipal government.
- Court Opens Salmon Bay to Harbor-Line Rules
The state Supreme Court reverses a lower-court writ and lets harbor line commissioners regulate Salmon Bay—even though the bay nearly drains at low tide—because Puget Sound freight boats still use it at high water.
- The Sheriff Who Refused to Enforce Mob Rule
In 1885, as anti-Chinese sentiment gripped Seattle, Sheriff J.H. McGraw defied a mass meeting of local citizens by refusing to join an exclusionary committee, citing his oath of office and the rule of law.
- A Judge Confronts Jury Tampering
After a civil trial ends, a Superior Court judge takes the unusual step of swearing in the jury to testify about being approached by a litigant.
- The Fight to Ban Boxing in 1891 Washington
As the state legislature considered a sweeping crackdown on 'prizefighting' in 1891, the proposed law sparked debate over what constitutes public violence versus private athletic exercise.
- The Eight-Hour Law Loophole
Everett labor organizers challenge a new Attorney General interpretation that exempts state employees from the eight-hour workday.
- An Alarming Rise in Typhoid Cases
Public alarm grows in Tacoma as local health officials downplay a spike in illness, suggesting citizens boil their water while avoiding any official critique of the city's water supply.