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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1886 | 1 |
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32 stories matching dement
- The Mayoral Candidate Who Wanted to Open the City’s Books
Running on a platform of transparency, Frank S. Dement challenged the city's plan to purchase the Thomas ranch for $25,000, calling for a 'business administration' that prioritized public oversight.
- Tacoma's Public Works Commissioner Refuses to Vacate His Seat
David D. Dement says his term has not ended and will hold office until a successor is appointed, setting up a municipal power struggle with Mayor Orr.
- The Machine Under Fire
An anonymous letter-writer accuses the local political establishment of corruption, illegal registrations, and voter suppression.
- The Great Terminus Fever of 1871
As rumors swirled about the location of the Northern Pacific Railroad’s Pacific Coast terminus, Seattleites were gripped by a volatile, real-estate-driven madness that made men 'demented' and land values skyrocket.
- The Political Machine Topples in Walla Walla
Voters hand a crushing defeat to the local political machine, rejecting entrenched interests and the influence of gambling money.
- Demented Girl Rescued from Puyallup Reservation
After being found chained to an outhouse floor, a young Indigenous girl has secured a place at an asylum.
- The Man Who Thought He Was Being Hunted: A Walla Walla Tragedy
A prosperous farmer’s descent into religious mania ends with his confinement at Medical Lake, revealing the era's fragile understanding of mental health.
- The Scandal at Walla Walla Schools
A school board member resigns in protest after the superintendent is re-elected despite allegations of financial misconduct.
- The Desperate Leap at Jackson Street
A local woman struggling with poverty and addiction finds herself in the bay after a public cry for help.
- The Wealthy Tramp of the Waterfront
A disheveled rancher found sleeping on the Seattle waterfront was revealed to be carrying a small fortune, catching local police and confidence men by surprise.
- Lost for Days in the Grays Harbor Wilderness
An elderly hunter is rescued in a state of delirium after disappearing in the rain-soaked timberlands north of Riverside.
- The Man Who Thought He Was a Millionaire: A Seattle Mental Health Tragedy
In April 1877, a man wandering the streets of Seattle claimed his parents were murdered and he was retrieving buried fortune. After assaulting a stranger with a dagger, he was committed to an asylum.
- The Deadly Loaf of Bread
A betrayal between business partners takes a dark turn in Semiahmoo when a loaf of bread becomes a vessel for strychnine.
- A Week of Tragedy in Pierce County
A string of suicides, murders, and accidents shocks Tacoma as a young student and an asylum patient end their own lives.
- The Tragedy of a Backyard Stream
A toddler’s unsupervised play ends in a heartbreaking drowning in a narrow irrigation ditch, highlighting the perils of a growing city.
- Walla Walla Committee Asks General Funston to Keep Fort
A committee from the Commercial Club met with General Funston to lobby against the military's plan to abandon the local garrison.
- A Bridge, a Snub, and a Secession Threat on the Snake
Franklin County offers $20,000 for a Snake River crossing at Burbank. Walla Walla County’s commissioners hesitate, and residents at the county’s western edge start talking about leaving.
- An Indifferent Son and a Mother’s Exile
When a 75-year-old widow began to wander, her only son sought to institutionalize her rather than provide care.
- The Unwilling Dancing Master
A homesteader terrorizes a Kahlotus saloon, forcing patrons to dance at gunpoint before his arrest.
- The Grand Hotel Suicide and the Two Men Who Weren't There
Carl Eggert's letters, translated after his death, describe imaginary pursuers, a son lost to suicide and a small estate divided with jarring practicality.
- The Tragic End of Oscar Larson
A logger’s desperate attempt to reconnect with his family ends in tragedy after his savings are stolen.
- Seattle's Saloon Keepers Face the 'High License' Squeeze
As 1885 begins, the city cracks down on liquor sellers, leaving many owners struggling to pay their bonds—and prompting some to consider an honest day's work instead.
- An Escape from Medical Lake
A patient from the state hospital for the insane sparks fear in a small community before his quiet capture.
- Lost for Days, 'Scotty' Crawls Out of the Metaline Woods
A young hunter loses his way near Sullivan Lake and survives on luck, hunters, and sheer endurance—shoes worn through and fingernails down to the quick.
- The Real-Estate Man Who Talked to His Dead Wives
A Seattle real-estate operator was committed to Steilacoom after a court found him insane—convinced he could commune with his dead wives and that enemies were trying to poison him with chicken lice and smallpox germs.