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1. Midnight Panic at the St. Cloud

   A spectacular five-story blaze in downtown Seattle forces guests to flee in their nightclothes, leaving a landmark hotel in ruins.

   Jan 27, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyDisasters

2. Rising from the Embers: Ellensburg's Rapid Rebirth

   After a devastating fire consumed the heart of the city in July 1889, the community transformed from a charred wasteland into a brick-fronted city in just two months.

   Sep 26, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerDowntown Ellensburg, Ellensburg, Kittitas CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

3. The Mayor's Private Foundry

   Mayor and School Director Gilbert Hunt stands accused of using his public positions to funnel municipal and school district contracts directly into his own iron foundry.

   Jun 23, 1903The Evening StatesmanEast Alder Street, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

4. The Perilous Descent of Professor Parker

   A daredevil aeronaut nearly meets his end in a tangle of city wires and building cornices during a botched parachute stunt over downtown Seattle.

   Jan 12, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Hotel, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

5. The Mayor's Foundry and the School Board Scandal

   Mayor Gilbert Hunt attempts to clear his name as the local paper doubles down on allegations of municipal graft.

   Jun 27, 1903The Evening StatesmanEast Alder Street, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall · Scandal

6. Olympia’s Booster Year: Brick, Bridges and a 50,000-Person Promise

   As 1891 closed, the capital city counted $3 million in new buildings, a record bridge, electric lights and new rail lines — and predicted 50,000 residents within a decade.

   Dec 31, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust · City Hall

7. The Empire of the Sun: How a New Hotel in Seattle Will Define the Territory

   A glimpse into the ambitious construction of the new British Hotel, signaling Seattle's rapid growth and confidence as a territorial capital.

   Jun 17, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

8. The Perilous Afternoon of a Seattle Homeowner

   A classic tale of a homeowner's frustration with construction progress takes a literal turn when he gets stranded on his own scaffolding, sparking a tense negotiation with a neighborhood boy.

   Aug 27, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSecond Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

9. A Miraculous Fall from a Construction Site

   A corniceman plunges three stories from a building under construction, surviving with only cuts and bruises.

   Apr 13, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

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