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159 stories matching couldn

  1. The Brutal Efficiency of the Newsboy's Union

    When the newsboys couldn't keep order during their meeting on Yesler Wharf, the president and his officers resorted to canes to restore discipline.

    Feb 17, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

  2. The Hilltop Church That Couldn't Hide

    In December 1888, the Methodist society in Pullman faced a logistical and theological dilemma: their church sat on a hill, but they wanted to be in the valley.

    Dec 1, 1888Pullman HeraldPullman, Whitman County

  3. The Strange Confession of Henry Lattimore

    After the murder of C. Grant in a Tacoma boarding house, a 19-year-old drifter with a 'straightforward' story was captured by rail workers and police.

    Jul 25, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

  4. 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

  5. The Power of the Classifieds

    A local resident proves that a well-placed advertisement in the newspaper is more effective than an exhaustive search when a cow goes missing.

    Jun 22, 1898Adams County NewsRitzville, Adams CountyStrange But True

  6. The Unscripted Tragedy at Yesler's Hall

    A young child’s refusal to follow the script during a dramatic performance forces the lead actor to lower the curtain on the show.

    Dec 22, 1877Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyNightlife

  7. A Total Circus Failure

    A traveling circus skips the city license fees and leaves the locals furious with a botched performance.

    Jun 11, 1891The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

  8. The Midnight Poker Raid on Jackson Street

    Police break up a late-night game in a saloon, arresting seven men who couldn't afford to bail themselves out.

    Aug 20, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

  9. The Daily Struggle: When Seattle Was Made of Mud

    A local pedestrian finds himself literally stuck in the muck of Mill Street, illustrating the primitive state of 1885 infrastructure.

    Jan 18, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerYesler Way, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

  10. The Couple Who Couldn't Stay Divorced

    A local woman secures her second divorce from the same man, prompting a judge to suggest they will likely marry a third time.

    Nov 4, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyScandal

  11. Intoxicated Burglars Stumble into Police Trap

    Three men broke into the Louvre saloon, couldn't find the cash, and ended up getting arrested after getting drunk on the stolen goods.

    Jan 1, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

  12. The Barber's Great Escape

    A local barber skips town, leaving behind a mountain of debt, a jilted wife, and a lover, all while chasing a lifestyle he couldn't afford.

    Jun 24, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyScandal

  13. Baseball Disgust at Madison Street Park

    Seattle's home team suffers a humiliating loss to Portland, with local fans calling for the benching of star players.

    May 31, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMadison Street Park, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

  14. The Tax Bill Seattle Couldn't Defend

    Kate Evans wins a default judgment over an illegal Twelfth Street grade assessment, exposing a $75,000 civic liability as the abandoned improvement heads back to the Supreme Court.

    May 23, 1895The Seattle Post-Intelligencer12th Avenue, SeattleBoom & Bust · City Hall

  15. The Hill That Fire Engines Couldn't Climb

    Queen Anne residents were left defenseless when firefighters struggled to navigate the neighborhood’s steep, unpaved streets during a house fire.

    Aug 5, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerQueen Anne, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Disasters

  16. The Day the Wind Blew the Farm Away

    A survey reveals that a five-acre plot of land near Finley has literally blown away, leaving only a fraction of an acre behind.

    Jun 1, 1916The Kennewick Courier-ReporterFinley, Benton CountyStrange But True

  17. The Risks of the 'Shipper’s Order' Grain Hustle

    A federal warning exposes how unlicensed speculators were clogging rail yards with hay and grain they couldn't afford to pay for.

    Sep 20, 1917The Kennewick Courier-ReporterKennewick, Benton CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

  18. Aberdeen’s School Board Stalls on New Building

    A local newspaper feud spills over into accusations of administrative incompetence and backroom dealing in the selection of an architect.

    Oct 22, 1891Aberdeen HeraldTerrace Avenue, Aberdeen, Grays Harbor CountyCity Hall · Scandal

  19. When the Hills Tried to Wash Away the Railroad

    A series of massive landslides repeatedly blocked the Seattle & Montana tracks, forcing a superintendent into the muck and halting all rail traffic between Seattle and Everett.

    Feb 12, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

  20. The Jailer’s Mysterious Absence

    A police inquiry into the escape of a prisoner who slipped away while his guard was supposedly busy with locksmiths.

    Feb 4, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCity Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · True Crime

  21. The Hustlers Defeat Spokane in Dominant League Performance

    A clean fielding game and a home run from Charlie Irwin secure a victory for Seattle in the pennant race.

    Aug 18, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

  22. The Contract Proof of a Hidden Strike

    A labor newspaper exposes the desperate tactics used by the Sumner Iron Works to recruit strikebreakers through shady employment contracts.

    Sep 9, 1910The Labor JournalEverett, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

  23. A Fatal Cocktail on Pike Street

    A railroad foreman, suffering from heavy drinking and paranoid delusions about his son, takes his own life in a downtown boarding house.

    Jan 8, 1893The Seattle Post-Intelligencer316 Pike Street, Seattle, King County

  24. The Pastor Who Couldn't Find a Sermon

    In a rare moment of self-awareness, a Seattle clergyman confesses to his deacon that the city's news cycle is so dry he can't even find material for Sunday's sermon.

    May 21, 1882Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  25. The Clearing of 'Whitescapel'

    Prominent citizens argue that a new Great Northern depot will sanitize a notorious South Seattle slum.

    Jun 4, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyHousing & Rent · Boom & Bust

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