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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1872 | 20 |
| 1876 | 81 |
| 1877 | 55 |
| 1878 | 52 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 26 |
| 1882 | 8 |
| 1883 | 40 |
| 1884 | 41 |
| 1885 | 60 |
| 1886 | 46 |
| 1887 | 53 |
| 1888 | 23 |
| 1889 | 86 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 50 |
| 1892 | 153 |
| 1893 | 168 |
| 1894 | 163 |
| 1895 | 213 |
| 1897 | 3 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 20 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 30 |
| 1904 | 8 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 4 |
| 1910 | 6 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1924 | 2 |
1,428 stories matching counti
- The Great Railway Gamble of 1878
Territorial lawmakers drafted a sweeping plan to bind Washington’s counties together with a railroad, tasking local voters with footing the bill through massive debt.
- The Jury That Called Out King County’s Corruption
A scathing 1887 report from the Grand Jury exposes the mismanagement, dangerous roads, and broken record-keeping systems of pioneer-era Seattle.
- The Strange Case of the County's Vanished Property
A legal battle over the former Collins claim reveals a messy history of county mismanagement, secret land deals, and invalid property sales.
- City and County Spar Over Smallpox Care Costs
A simmering dispute between the Seattle City Council and King County over who should pay to treat the city's sick and indigent.
- The Great County Border War of 1886
When Pierce County attempted to poach King County's townships to bolster its own size and wealth, the local press didn't mince words about the 'unauthorized' territorial expansion.
- The Business of Death in King County
A stark 1877 notice reveals how Washington Territory handled the burial of those who died in poverty.
- The County Courthouse That Wasn't: King County Sells Its Own Home
In a bizarre twist of civic bureaucracy in January 1891, King County is forced to auction off the very building housing its courts because the new one isn't finished yet.
- Who Should Pay for the City's Sick?
A legal dispute over whether the City of Seattle or King County is responsible for the medical care of the indigent.
- King County Democrats Cry Foul Over a Rigged Delegate Count
The state Democratic Party cut King County's representation at the convention and handed its delegates to Pierce County — and the Post-Intelligencer was not about to let it pass quietly.
- Pierce County Republicans Keep Censure of Canal Backer McGraw
A simmering regional feud between Seattle and Tacoma boils over as Pierce County Republicans move to condemn the proposed Lake Washington ship canal.
- The Struggle to House the Poor in Early Seattle
As the number of county residents in need grows, officials weigh ending the Sisters of Providence’s long-standing contract for a public poor farm.
- The Fight to Trim King County's Fat
A committee of concerned Seattle citizens demands transparency and cuts in county government spending during a severe economic downturn.
- The Barn That Was a Courthouse: King County’s Shameful Jail and Office Conditions
An editorial exposé reveals that King County’s records are stored in a 'mere barn' and prisoners live in conditions 'a disgrace to a humane community,' urging the sale of bonds for new buildings.
- The City and County Spar Over the Poor
Seattle officials and King County commissioners reach a stalemate over who bears the responsibility for the city's indigent population.
- The County Surveyor’s 'Sweating' Scheme
King County Surveyor F.F. Ames faced official charges for systematically stealing a portion of his employees' wages.
- The Bold Plan to Build the Lake Washington Canal
Facing gridlock in Congress, Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce pushed a local bill to authorize the county to construct the canal itself, aiming to transform the city into the 'first city on the Pacific coast.'
- The Fight for the Lake Washington Canal
King County Democrats suffer a setback at the state convention, but the paper praises their loyalty to the proposed canal project against opposition from Pierce County.
- Gold Medals and a Pitch for Stevens County Orchards
At Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Stevens County took top honors for grains and fruit—and its commissioner came home claiming local apples could beat Wenatchee and Yakima.
- The Auditor's Ledger Scandal
After an investigation into King County's books, the county auditor is indicted for forgery following a chaotic attempt to clear the ledger before his term expired.
- The Unlucky Traveler of King County
A lonely worker injured on the job finds himself a pawn in a bureaucratic tug-of-war between the county and his employer.
- The Tax Fight That Pitted Seattle Against the County
A legal dispute over bridge funds forces the city and county into a standoff that tests the reach of local authority.
- The Price of Poverty in 1877 Seattle
When the County Commissioners opened a new poor house, they explicitly designed it as a workhouse to deter the 'dissolute class' from seeking public assistance.
- The Ring of Corruption: How King County’s Auditor Hid the Books
A scathing editorial in the Puget Sound Dispatch exposes Gardner Kellogg for refusing to explain thousands of dollars in missing county funds, accusing him of treating public office as private property.
- The Battle Over the City's Indigent Sick
A standoff between the health officer and county commissioners over who should pay for the medical care of the destitute exposes a dangerous rift in the civic safety net.
- The Courthouse That Never Was
A desperate plea to build a modest county seat on a 'high ridge' between Seattle and Belltown before the city outgrows its footprint.