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82 stories matching dexter
- The Day Seattle’s Wealthiest Bankers Challenged the Taxman
In a landmark 1876 legal maneuver, Arthur Denny and Dexter Horton petitioned King County Commissioners to stop paying taxes on their mortgage loans, arguing that taxing the debt while the property was already taxed amounted to double taxation.
- The Little Yellow Bank That Outlasted the Great Seattle Fire
Dexter Horton’s one-story stone office at Commercial and Washington survived the 1889 conflagration—and became the foundation of a downtown banking landmark.
- The Real Estate Tycoon Defends His Bank
A.A. Denny, one of Seattle’s founding fathers, takes to the press to push back against rumors of insolvency and claims that his bank is nothing more than a puppet for Portland interests.
- The Great Land Grab: Tacoma Citizens Unite Against Northern Pacific’s ‘Squatter’ Tactics
In a packed hall at Reinig’s Hall, leading citizens condemn the railroad’s seizure of public lands and its attempt to claim hundreds of thousands of acres for a coal line that will never be built.
- The Great Land Grab: Citizens Unite to Stop the Railroad's Theft of Public Soil
In a packed meeting at Reinig’s Hall, Snohomish leaders condemn the Northern Pacific Railway for hoarding millions of acres while building a secret coal line, vowing to fight Congress to return the land to settlers.
- The Sunset of the Port Madison Mill Empire
A Seattle bank moves to seize the vast assets of W.P. Sayward as allegations of fraud shadow the collapse of a regional timber titan.
- The Bell in the Woods: How Seattle Built Its First University
A 34-year anniversary feature on the Territorial University: 48 laborers, $2-a-day wages, lumber from Port Blakely, and an old bell that warned ships in fog and rang for hangings.
- The Wheat Broker Who Vanished With the Proceeds
A Spokane County farmer shipped wheat to a Seattle commission firm and got nothing back. The office was empty, the operator was in San Francisco, and the paper called it deliberate fraud.
- The Pioneer Developer Building the Future of Downtown Seattle
As Seattle grapples with rapid growth and a critical shortage of hotels for visiting businessmen, pioneer Dexter Horton announces a major new business block on Cherry Street.
- The Bankrupt Streetcar Company Ordered to Keep a Mansion Lit
A Seattle court rules that a receiver must honor a close corporation's strange side deal to power G. E. M. Pratt's home.
- Taxpayers vs. County Hall: The Municipal League's 1895 Revolt
A poorly attended Municipal League meeting still sent 200 taxpayers' signatures to the county commissioners, threatened impeachment, and fought over private counsel and school warrants.
- Seattle Rising: The Blocks Going Up Where the Fire Burned
Dexter Horton & Co. reopens on the same corner it held before the great fire, as new brick blocks, houses and excavations push out across the young city.
- The Last of the Pioneer Orchard
When Dexter Horton, Seattle’s banking titan, began felling his historic apple trees in 1885, he sparked a flurry of neighborhood rumors about the future of his downtown lots.
- The Bird of Dexter: A Partridge’s Remarkable Return
After being tamed, caged, and set free on a farm, a wild partridge inexplicably returned to its owner's doorstep, prompting a local newspaper to take notice.
- The Great Seattle Land-Grab Controversy
A political advertisement from 1889 exposes a list of prominent Seattle figures accused of inflating real estate prices and manipulating the local land market.
- The Gentrification of Early Seattle
A 1889 land prospectus uses the promise of a new streetcar line to drive up property values, listing an elite roster of buyers to signal progress—and profit.
- The Tragic Delusions of a Seattle Engineer
After his child died, a railroad worker spiraled into a breakdown that ended in a tragic death at the asylum, leaving his family in dire straits.
- The Strategic Brilliance of Chief Seattle
A look back at the early life and diplomatic ascent of the leader who gave Seattle its name, including his tactical victory on the White River.
- Who Stole the Northern Pacific Express Gold?
A three-thousand-dollar payroll shipment vanishes from a Seattle express office, triggering threats, a dramatic interrogation, and accusations of internal negligence.
- The Business of Governing
A crowded rally at the Armory showcases the 'Citizens' Municipal League' attempting to wrestle control of Seattle from the grip of party machines.
- City Hall Showdown: Council and Reformers Clash Over Charter Revision
A heated joint meeting of the city council and civic organizations debates whether to call a special election for a new city charter, with accusations of bullying and claims of wasted taxpayer money.
- Tragedy in the Elevator Shaft
A building superintendent is crushed to death while performing routine maintenance in a busy downtown Seattle office building.
- A Council Franchise Handshake
A streetcar franchise is approved in less than two minutes as the city council moves to consolidate rail lines along Yesler Way.
- The Iron City on the Lake: Peter Kirk’s $20 Million Steel Empire Rises in Kirkland
British industrialist Peter Kirk has secured 2,000 acres on Lake Washington to build a massive iron and steel works, complete with a planned company town. Local leaders hail it as the catalyst for Seattle's transformation into a global manufacturing hub.
- A Coal Town Crawls Back From the Fire That Entombed Forty Miners
Six months after the Coal Creek disaster, a reporter follows Newcastle's superintendent a thousand feet underground into the new mine the company is racing to make bigger than the one it lost.
Also about this, in other words
- A Local Boy’s Dangerous Encounter with a Pet Raccoon
A young newsboy known as 'Pud' loses a finger after a rough encounter with a captive raccoon.
- Brutal Murder at Port Discovery
A man found slain in his home with axe wounds remains an unsolved mystery as authorities open an investigation.
- A Bloody Struggle at the Wharf
A dockside confrontation leads to a violent stabbing, shedding light on the tensions surrounding labor and safety in the growing port of Seattle.
- A One-Legged Man, a Stolen Boat, and a Cork Leg to the Gut
A stolen rowboat, a determined owner, and a watchman with a wooden leg turn a quiet evening at the Madison Street slip into a comedy of errors.
- A Courageous Rescue from Assault
A young domestic worker was saved from a violent assault in the University grounds after a bystander intervened.
- A Bereaved Husband, a Faithful Dog, and a 25-Cent Room
Daniel Bauman took morphine in a downtown lodging house after his wife died at the county farm. His little black dog stayed beside the body and fought off anyone who came near.
- A Night at Turner Hall
Seattle’s athletic set gathers at Turner Hall for an exhibition match featuring lightweight pugilist Dal Hawkins.
- A Compassionate Life Cut Short by Smallpox
A dedicated social worker dies after contracting the disease while visiting a local house of charity.