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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 8 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1887 | 19 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 27 |
| 1890 | 3 |
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| 1892 | 68 |
| 1893 | 46 |
| 1894 | 32 |
| 1895 | 26 |
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| 1900 | 1 |
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| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 37 |
| 1905 | 1 |
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| 1908 | 13 |
| 1909 | 49 |
| 1910 | 5 |
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499 stories matching contractor
- The Contractors' Backroom Shuffle
Local contractors are maneuvering to install their preferred candidate as city building inspector.
- The Swindled Worker of the South Prairie Line
A laborer finds that the Northern Pacific Railroad's subcontracting system is a trap of unpaid wages and unreachable bosses.
- A Laborer's Grievance Over Skimpy Wages
A worker on the Madison Street grade reports that his contractor is withholding pay, sparking a debate on fairness and city debt.
- Stadium Construction Hits a Roadblock
City police arrest two contractors for tearing up pavement while hauling piles for the high school stadium construction.
- The Fight to Protect Seattle’s Builders from Disappearing Contractors
In 1891, local lawmakers drafted a landmark lien law to ensure workers and suppliers were paid even when contractors fled with the money.
- City Council Demands Better Streets
After contractors repeatedly ignored demands to fix decaying pavement, Tacoma officials threaten to use bond money to perform the repairs themselves.
- The Crumbling Courthouse Scandal
County officials halt construction on the new courthouse after discovering contractors used substandard materials and ignored building specifications.
- The Bricklayer Shortage of 1888
As Seattle began its rapid expansion, contractors scrambled to find enough skilled labor to keep pace with the building boom.
- The Siege at Keets Mine
A desperate labor standoff unfolds as miners seize a Washington claim over unpaid wages, fortifying their position against the contractor.
- The Eight-Hour Fight in Spokane
Laborers challenge contractor over mandatory eight-hour work day ordinance.
- Contractor Arrested for Unpermitted Street Work
A Tacoma contractor faces legal trouble for unauthorized excavation in his neighborhood.
- Sewer Graft Scandal Hits Ballard
A contractor linked to Walla Walla infrastructure is accused of corrupting a massive sewer project in Ballard.
- The Cost of a Bridge Inspection
A protracted dispute over demurrage fees for the Puyallup River bridge reaches a compromise, leaving the contractor in the red.
- The County Courthouse Construction Scandal
A superintendent is forced out after refusing to accept substandard materials for the new county building.
- The Ballard Sewer Standoff
A local contractor and city engineer lock horns in a heated public council meeting over the technicalities of neighborhood infrastructure.
- City Contractor Facing Charges for Animal Abuse
A local street grading contractor is arrested after a humane officer finds his horses in poor condition.
- The City Hall Scandal: A Contractual Nightmare in 1887 Seattle
City council members and contractors clash over botched public works, leaving taxpayers and laborers holding the bag in a classic tale of civic mismanagement.
- Is a Public Street Being Sold as Gravel?
Neighbors watched with growing concern as contractors allegedly dug away the public street to sell the dirt for profit.
- A Dollar a Day: Bricklayers Force Olympia Contractors to Pay Up
A week-long walkout over wages ends with contractors conceding $4 a day—but the capitol job is already behind schedule.
- City Contractors Collude Against the Eight-Hour Day
Labor unions in Seattle allege that local contractors are manipulating the courts to strip workers of their legal protections.
- State Labor Commissioner Targets Eight-Hour Law Violations
Commissioner William Blackman is gathering evidence against contractors in Tacoma and Seattle who have failed to comply with state labor mandates.
- The Case Against the Contractor
A labor editorial argues that public works projects should be managed by the city directly, not by private contractors who cut corners and inflate costs.
- The Courthouse Feud: Superintendent Resigns and Foremen Are Ordered Off the Job
Thurston County commissioners accept W. A. Rogers’s resignation as courthouse superintendent, citing “strained relations” among contractors, architect and foremen, then appoint R. O. Owen to finish the job.
- Boodle Charges and a Vendetta at the University of Washington
A disgruntled former foreman accuses contractors and regents of corruption in the new state university building, but his allegations are picked apart by those involved.
- The Fight for Cash Wages
A proposed Seattle ordinance to force contractors to pay laborers in 'lawful money' rather than time checks was struck down by the City Council.
Also about this, in other words
- Why Tacoma’s Small Contractors Are Being Shut Out
A massive $50,000 sidewalk contract leaves local firms behind, sparking debate over whether the city's infrastructure projects are designed only for the biggest players.
- The City Hall Sewer Fight
A contractor accuses the city engineer of bad faith after being ordered to halt construction on the town's new sewer system.
- The Street Contractor’s Gamble
When the city of Tacoma failed to pay up on street improvements, a contractor was left holding the bag—and a pocket full of worthless paper.
- The First Strike Against the Eight-Hour Day
Contractors are already looking for loopholes in the new Washington state labor law, sparking a legal showdown between building firms and the Western Central Labor Union.
- The Smoke-Filled Backroom Deals of 1886
A disgruntled contractor exposes the murky process behind the construction of public works in early Seattle, challenging the city's power brokers.
- The Contractor Died in the Church He Was Building
Charles R. Brown, a prosperous Seattle builder, collapsed in the gallery of the unfinished First Presbyterian Church—three minutes from work to death.
- City Hall's Construction Contractor Fails to Pay Up
Creditors are circling the new city building on Third Street as liens are filed against the project.
- Seattle Hires a Contractor to Keep South School From Sliding Into the Street
The school board awards an emergency bulkhead job after nine bids and a bonding standoff, with work required before the autumn rains.