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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 4 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 27 |
| 1877 | 30 |
| 1878 | 15 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 34 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 13 |
| 1888 | 21 |
| 1889 | 37 |
| 1890 | 7 |
| 1891 | 40 |
| 1892 | 121 |
| 1893 | 136 |
| 1894 | 96 |
| 1895 | 95 |
| 1897 | 4 |
| 1898 | 6 |
| 1899 | 17 |
| 1900 | 4 |
| 1903 | 68 |
| 1904 | 38 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 19 |
| 1909 | 70 |
| 1910 | 4 |
| 1911 | 5 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 10 |
| 1916 | 22 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 5 |
| 1924 | 5 |
| 1925 | 2 |
1,033 stories matching damag
- Seven Lots, Three Judges, and a Railroad's Sky-High Bill
With jurors suspected of being bribed, three judges took over the Great Northern condemnation case—and the valuations for a few lots near King Street swung wildly.
- The Canal That Would Reshape Seattle, Held Up by Mud and Paperwork
In 1895 the government's Lake Washington ship canal was still a paper route, and every submerged lot owner had to sign away damages before a dredge could move.
- One Lawsuit Over Jackson Street Stops Every Big Street Project in Washington
The state supreme court voids the 1893 eminent domain law, and Seattle's half-million-dollar regrade — along with the ambitious improvements of every city over 1,500 people — is suddenly unfundable.
- The Wharf King’s Victory: Yesler Wins Millions in Land Battle
Judge Lichtenberg rules that the state cannot seize waterfront property without paying just compensation, halting the Harbor Line Commission and protecting H.L. Yesler’s empire.
- The Blind Doctor and the $24,000 Cure
William and Matilda Linton sued Dr. W. T. Campbell, a blind Olympia physician, claiming his Thompsonian remedies killed their daughter Clara—and asking for $24,200 in damages.
- Seattle's Sewers Were Cracking All Over Town — and the City Engineer Blamed the Dirt
A furious letter writer insists the pipes broke not from 'percussion' but from the very worst kind of trench work — and points the finger straight at the man in charge.
- The Tunnel Under Seventh Street: Two Property Owners Take On the Railroad
Captain Hatch seeks $10,000 and J. A. Silsby $5,000, blaming the Northern Pacific's new tunnel for damage to their buildings — while the railroad insists the city, not the company, should pay.
- The Canal That Would Raise Salmon Bay—and Fill Its Marshes
Government engineers promise Seattle property owners that the Lake Washington ship canal will not strand them: excavated earth will fill submerged land and a public street will run alongside the right-of-way.
- The Great Gale of 1890
A powerful storm system tore through Chehalis County, unroofing town blocks and sweeping historic cannery buildings into the Chehalis River.
- Protests Against the White River Ditch
A contentious battle over land damages and irrigation pits the county commissioners against local landowners, headed for court.
- Newport's Street Grades Come With a Bill—and a Fight Over Rock
The town council settles with a Spokane contractor, approves extras for five streets, and tables a property owner's damage claim.
- A Jury Settles the Water for Calispell
Landowners in the Calispell bottoms are awarded damages, clearing the way for a diking district to reclaim about 100 acres from the annual overflow.
- A Mother's Fight Against the Northern Pacific
After her 7-year-old daughter was struck and killed by a train, Mary Ann Evans is suing for $13,035 in damages, alleging company negligence.
- Tacoma Sues Water Company for $1 Million Over a Dry Promise
City officials say Patterson Springs delivered a fraction of the promised flow, making the costly gravity system practically worthless.
- The River Overflows Its Banks
A winter deluge causes catastrophic damage to Kennewick’s infrastructure, livestock, and irrigation systems.
- The High Cost of Progress in Seattle
Property owners on Pike Street are challenging the city council, arguing that if their land was damaged by regrading, they shouldn't be taxed for the 'benefits' of the improvement.
- Walla Walla Weighs Water Rights Against Costly Lawsuits
A legal dispute over riparian rights forces the city to weigh the cost of a new gravity system against the risk of massive damages.
- The Fifteen-Year Flood That Cut Puget Sound Apart
A massive storm inundates Puget Sound lowlands, blocks the Northern Pacific, washes out county bridges, and sends Tacoma developers scrambling to control the Puyallup River.
- After the Mill Burned, the Neighbors Got Their Day in Court
A Spokane judge orders White Pine Lumber to pay four homeowners for a 1905 fire, while the company's failed suit against Great Northern leaves perjury charges in its wake.
- The Fence That Stopped the Railway
A Seattle property owner and his neighbors took matters into their own hands, blocking a streetcar line with a barricade to force a payout for damages.
- Smoke So Thick You Could Not See a Block: The August the Sound Went Dark
Forest and peat fires from Lynden to Wilkeson filled Puget Sound with smoke in late August 1894. Seattle's weather observer promised rain within thirty-six hours, and Whatcom County counted its losses.
- A Fierce Windstorm Batters Tacoma
An unusual east-northeast gale shakes the bluff, topples chimneys, and sends ships drifting across the harbor.
- A Supreme Court Case Over Formaldehyde Milk
The state's dairy commissioner faces a damages suit after a cafe owner claims his business was ruined by accusations involving tainted milk.
- Third Street’s Sidewalk Standoff—and the Railings That Made It Worse
A street cut left storefronts stranded above grade. When the city tried to fix the sidewalks, property owners sued; when it put up railings, the block looked worse.
- Tacoma's Water War Ends in a $22,000 Bill
Contractors say the city's political turnaround on Maplewood Springs left them unable to build—and now they want damages.