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48 stories matching crib
- The Clearing of Whitechapel
In April 1892, Seattle’s police chief launched a moral crusade to shutter the 'cribs' of Whitechapel, forcing residents into the shadows and signaling an early chapter in the city's long history of displacing vulnerable communities.
- The Last of the Crib-Dwellers
A railroad company successfully clears the last remaining shack underneath the King Street trestle.
- The Raid on Whitechapel’s Cribs
Under orders from the police chief, officers descended on a Seattle district known as 'Whitechapel,' arresting twenty-two women for maintaining 'houses of ill fame' in a surprise morning crackdown.
- Seattle’s First City Hall: A $500 Bill for Front Street
In September 1876, the fledgling city council authorized a payment to George Edwards for rebuilding the cribbing and earthworks on Front Street, marking one of the earliest municipal infrastructure contracts in Seattle's history.
- The Struggle for a Safer Seattle Waterfront
As the city rapidly expands its harbor, a push for a new railing along the waterfront aims to protect nighttime travelers from accidental falls.
- The City That Slid Away: Seattle’s Front Street Disaster of 1876
As the city expands up its steep hills, a critical retaining wall on Front Street collapses under the weight of new development, leaving officials to wonder if Seattle is building itself into a disaster.
- The Scandal of the Sandberg District
City council members launch a blistering investigation into a protected 'vice syndicate' they allege is forcing hundreds of women into a restricted district.
- City Hall Under Siege: Mayor and Councilman Clash Over Police Graft
A heated feud erupts between Mayor Linck and Councilman Jamieson over alleged police corruption and the reopening of local 'cribs'.
- Spokane’s Mayor Dictates Red Light Rents
In a sweeping police regulation, the Spokane municipal government sets price caps on rents in the 'whitechapel' district and mandates fines for landladies and their residents.
- The Great Seattle Front Street Excavation of 1876
As teams and scrapers descend on the heart of the city, laborers begin carving out the steep terrain between Cherry and James to make way for the future.
- The Great Seattle Regrade
City infrastructure projects are reshaping the landscape, creating deep cuts and massive fills, while disrupting daily life for residents.
- The Pre-emptor’s Ledger: A Blueprint for Owning Olympia
In November 1860, the federal government issued a rigid, almost theatrical checklist of requirements for settlers hoping to claim land in Washington Territory. It wasn't enough to just show up; you had to prove your worthiness through a litany of domestic and agricultural details.
- The Police Chief Who Refused to Reopen Seattle's Red-Light District
A behind-the-scenes account of how a police commissioner tried to oust Chief Rogers because he wouldn't let the Blackchapel cribs rent again—and how the mayor stopped him.
- Midnight Blast at a Chinese Laundry
A loud explosion near South Sixth and Washington Street sends Seattle police on a frantic manhunt for a mysterious bomber.
- The Mayor's War on 'Black Chapel'
Mayor J. T. Ronald vetoes a saloon license in a notorious district, decrying the density of vice in a three-hundred-foot square.
- Spokane Mayor Reorganizes Regulation of 'Social Evil'
A new administrative order aims to consolidate control over vice districts and increase municipal revenue through adjusted fines.
- The Empty Crib at the Corner of Third and Union
A quiet, haunting reflection from 1876 Seattle on the enduring grief of losing a child and the keepsakes that remain.
- A Robbery, a Room at the Hotel, and a Prisoner Who Walked Away
With no jail to hold her, a woman accused of robbing a rancher in the Riverside cribs was lodged at the Newport Hotel — and vanished before breakfast. Old Town suspects a conspiracy, and a Sandpoint grand jury is listening.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Plans Tacoma's Expansion
Railroad executives visit to strategize the massive redevelopment of Tacoma's waterfront and terminal infrastructure.
- The Bold 1894 Single Tax Manifesto
A radical Seattle group calls for a complete overhaul of the city tax system and the end of speculative land hoarding.
- The Land is Moving Beneath the Mills
As Seattle's waterfront expansion struggles against unstable geology, a sash and door factory is forced to shutter as the hillside slips toward the bay.
- County Finances in Shambles
A scathing report reveals Chehalis County is $105,000 in debt while local officials draw high salaries.
- The Underground Prison Ring
Warden Catron uncovers a secret society of convicts at the Walla Walla prison, suspected of plotting to smuggle in opium.
- The Street Grader’s Injunction
Prominent real estate developer H.L. Yesler halts work on Third Street with a temporary restraining order against local contractors.
- The Shack Murder Mystery
An elderly woman is found dead in her South Seattle home, setting off a local investigation as neighbors—and suspects—scramble to prove their innocence.