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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1877 | 5 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 8 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 6 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 12 |
| 1893 | 14 |
| 1894 | 14 |
| 1895 | 30 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1903 | 4 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
163 stories matching difficult
- Seattle's 1889 Fight Over Tide Flats and Docks
As Washington prepares for statehood, a contentious battle emerges over who owns—and who profits from—the valuable tide lands bordering Seattle.
- The Battle for How Seattle Votes
In 1892, a fierce debate raged in the Seattle City Council over whether to elect representatives by neighborhood wards or at-large, highlighting a recurring struggle for civic control.
- The Price of a 'Bad Man's' Temper
A Seattle newspaper editorial rails against a lenient verdict for a saloon regular who murdered a bartender over a perceived slight.
- The 'Big Little Job' of Connecting the Sound
How engineer Nonneman tackled the treacherous swamps and trestle-heavy terrain of the new rail line.
- The Struggle to Shore Up the Seattle Waterfront
Engineers face a daunting challenge as they fight back the rising tide in a race to reinforce the city's crumbling wharf foundations.
- The Labor Unrest on the Narrow Gauge
When Chinese track laborers struck for higher wages on the railroad, they were met with firearms and immediate termination.
- The Inner Life of a Dining Room Waiter
A frank, cynical look at the power dynamics between restaurant staff and customers in early Seattle.
- Suspicious Blazes in Blackchapel Row
A series of suspicious fires in the building row owned by the Great Northern Railway suggests an active arsonist targeting the property.
- The Northern Pacific Bows to Regulation
After fighting state intervention, the Northern Pacific Railroad decides to comply with the Anderson Rate Bill to appease local farmers.
- The Troubled Life of a 17-Year-Old
A Seattle teenager with a history of employment instability and violent outbursts is committed to the Steilacoom asylum.
- Fighting the Waterfront Trestle
Property owners demand a street crossing, claiming railroad infrastructure is strangling access to the tide flats.
- The Feast of Tabernacles in Early Seattle
Celebrating the ancient Jewish holiday of Sukkot with prayers and a makeshift booth at the local synagogue.
- Laundry Wagon Ambush at Depot Street
A brazen nighttime hold-up near Lake Union serves as a stark reminder of the city's dim streets and growing danger.
- Tragedy in the Cascades
A well-known Seattle mining man perishes alone in a mountain cabin after a difficult winter journey.
- The Great Courthouse Location Battle
Prominent citizens join a protest against building the new county courthouse on a high hill that is inaccessible and inconvenient.
- The Gold Hunters of Seattle's Backwoods
Three Indigenous men bring fine shot gold to the Puget Sound Banking Company, sparking a rush of speculation about rich deposits in the mountains east of town.
- The Court House Conflict
King County officials struggle to seize property for the new courthouse as tenants refuse to vacate.
- The Dream of the Lake Union Ship Canal
A new legislative memorial urges the federal government to fund a canal connecting Puget Sound to Lake Union and Lake Washington to expand Seattle's industrial potential.
- Narrow Escape in the Business District
A late-night fire is extinguished in a downtown shoe shop just before it could engulf the surrounding blocks.
- The Wild West of Clock-Watching in Seattle
Before standardized time zones arrived in Seattle, residents had to contend with a city where every jeweler and church bell kept their own schedule.
- The Teachers' Pay Gap
An editorial from 1887 argues that Seattle’s teachers are overworked, undervalued, and paid significantly less than city laborers.
- The Political Battle for Seattle’s Soul in 1880
A rare glimpse into the intense, hard-fought campaign that cemented Republican power in late 19th-century Seattle.
- Confessions of a Theatrical Manager
Daniel Frohman, the famous theater manager, discusses the high-stakes gamble of producing stage plays in the late 19th century.
- The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
A local carpenter's struggle to collect payment before the holidays highlights the precarity of working families in early Seattle.
- The Logging Industry Adjusts to New Standardization
Loggers and millmen debate the shift toward standardized 16-foot log lengths to meet Eastern market demands.