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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 15 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 10 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 17 |
| 1892 | 33 |
| 1893 | 31 |
| 1894 | 36 |
| 1895 | 22 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 6 |
| 1899 | 2 |
| 1903 | 16 |
| 1904 | 13 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1909 | 16 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 7 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 3 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1923 | 2 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
355 stories matching destruct
- The Great Walla Walla Freshet of 1876
After unseasonable rains decimated the region's infrastructure, locals wondered if a waterspout had carved a path of destruction through the mountains.
- The Fight to Save the Stillaguamish Salmon
Long before environmental regulation was common, Snohomish Councilman Ferguson pushed for a law to curb the destructive use of dynamite in Washington’s rivers.
- Firefighters, assemble! A Puyallup Valley inferno threatens the bridge
Citizens and volunteers rush to save a critical bridge in the Puyallup valley as wildfires ravage timberlands.
- Ballard Mill to Rebuild After Destructive Fire
Owners of the Fleming-Ayerst shingle mill vow to restart operations within ninety days following a massive fire that destroyed the plant.
- The Riotous Destruction of a Home
When a house caught fire, neighbors and bystanders didn't just help extinguish the flames—they tore the home apart.
- The Tragic End of a Wishkah River Dog
A local Aberdeen canine displays an unsettling, deliberate act of self-destruction in a town where human-interest stories often took a dark turn.
- A Tolt Farmer's Simple Solution for Hop Pests
After trying every known remedy, a local farmer discovers a cost-effective way to save his harvest.
- War on the Teredo Worm
New experimental methods are required to protect wharf pilings from Puget Sound's destructive wood-boring pests.
- A Double Tragedy in Lewis County
A tragic hunting accident leads to a young boy's death and the subsequent destruction of his family home by fire.
- Battling the Invasive Thistle
A coordinated effort between the state college and the Northern Pacific Railroad aims to eradicate destructive weeds from the Washington landscape.
- Volcano of Flame Threatens Columbia Slope Wheat Fields
A three-day prairie fire near Jump-Off Joe tested the mettle of local farmers, forcing them to plow firebreaks to save their harvest.
- Sabotage Strikes the Waterfront
A local stevedore firm investigates the malicious destruction of property following a series of mysterious explosions on their scows.
- The Great 'Old Dominion' Dynamite Fire
When an iconic hotel caught fire in a Washington town, desperate residents turned to explosives to save the rest of the block from total destruction.
- The River Overflows Its Banks
A winter deluge causes catastrophic damage to Kennewick’s infrastructure, livestock, and irrigation systems.
- A Damning Verdict on Steamboat Safety
Following the sinking of the steamer Josephine, a King and Kitsap County grand jury finds the vessel's destruction was caused by 'gross negligence' and a failure to enforce maritime safety.
- Tragedy at the Star Clothing House
A lonely tradesman takes his own life in a downtown Seattle retail shop, leaving behind a note of despair and a request to reach out to his estranged wife.
- The Great Timber Fires of 1883
Uncontrolled forest fires rage across Washington Territory, destroying logging camps and infrastructure with no end in sight.
- A Logger's Desperate Night in Jail
After his arrest for drunkenness, a logger named William Kirk suffered a mental health crisis while in custody.
- A Final Request for Mercy
A desperate railroad worker took his own life in a Second Street hotel, leaving behind a note confessing he was struggling to suppress a violent urge to kill.
- Vandalism at the White River Schoolhouse
Two young boys find themselves behind bars after a destructive incident at a local schoolhouse, sparking anxiety in a respectable city family.
- The Tragedy of Mrs. Flood
A desperate attempt at self-destruction reveals the cycle of domestic abuse occurring in a downtown hotel.
- Tragedy in Two Acts on the Cowlitz
A young man's accidental death in the woods is followed by the complete destruction of his family's home by fire, leaving the mourning parents with nothing.
- The Morphine Abyss
A woman shares her harrowing descent into morphine addiction and her recovery at the Keeley Institute, offering a rare, personal testimony of 19th-century narcotic dependence.
- McMillan on the Brink of Washing Away
A farmer appeals to commissioners as a diverted river threatens to swallow his town.
- Trapped by the Mountain’s Fury
A terrifying narrow escape as a winter slide nearly claims a mountain boarding house.