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1. An Electrifying Encounter at the Drug Store

   A Seattlite's bonnet catches fire, leading to a rather unconventional rescue by an observant clerk.

   Jul 12, 1889The Mason County JournalSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

2. The Electrified Rescuer

   A Ballard grocer and a constable lose their suspect when a woman claiming to be possessed by electricity intervenes.

   Mar 16, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBallard Avenue, Seattle, King CountyLocal Legends

3. The Great Northern's Electrified Tunnel

   A bold infrastructure project in the Cascade mountains promises to banish smoke and gas from rail travel.

   Mar 18, 1909The Labor JournalSkykomish, King CountyBoom & Bust

4. The Struggle for Priest Rapids Power

   As the Milwaukee Railroad pivots to electrification, White Bluffs residents pressure the federal government to break the deadlock on dam development.

   Jan 12, 1917White Bluffs SpokesmanPriest Rapids, White Bluffs, Kittitas CountyFollow the Money

5. Betting on the Rapids

   Speculation runs wild in White Bluffs as the Milwaukee railroad moves to electrify its lines, fueling dreams of a massive dam at Priest Rapids.

   Feb 2, 1917White Bluffs SpokesmanPriest Rapids, White Bluffs, Kittitas CountyBoom & Bust

6. The Trolley Overtakes the Steam Train

   Faced with competition from local electric lines, the Northern Pacific Railway begins electrifying its Everett-to-Snohomish branch.

   Jul 10, 1903The Evening StatesmanEverett, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

7. The Snake Oil Salesman of Seattle

   A traveling 'magnetic' doctor promises miraculous cures for everything from asthma to consumption, setting up shop in 1889 Seattle.

   Apr 17, 1889The Seattle Post-Intelligencer111 First Avenue, Seattle, King CountySnake Oil

8. The Courtroom Scream

   A witness in a railroad injury trial lets out a blood-curdling set of shrieks from a locked room, sending the entire Federal Court into a panic.

   Oct 17, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFederal Court, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

9. The Electrified Watchman

   When the Seattle Electric Railway’s infrastructure turned the city into a hazard, a local watchman learned the hard way that his job required handling more than just time.

   Aug 28, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSouth 1st Street, Seattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

10. The Meteorology of the Woods

    An 1880 meteorologist argues that deforestation is responsible for the drying of rivers and the loss of rainfall, a warning from the early days of Washington Territory.

    Nov 27, 1880The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

11. The Skykomish Gold Rush

    A reported discovery of river-bed gold near Snohomish sparks a local frenzy, leading prominent citizens to abandon their businesses to stake a claim.

    Sep 14, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSkykomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

12. The Milwaukee Railroad Abandons Columbia River Electrification

    Supply chain issues and shifting fuel costs force the Milwaukee Railroad to prioritize the Coast division over the local line.

    Jun 1, 1917White Bluffs SpokesmanOthello, Adams CountyFollow the Money

13. A Skating Rink Disaster

    A romantic rivalry at the local roller rink ends in a humiliating and public wardrobe malfunction.

    Jul 12, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

14. The Miner’s Dignity: When Newcastle Stood Against the Clock

    A tense standoff at the Newcastle coal mines reveals the human cost of industrial efficiency and a worker's refusal to be 'watched like a slave.'

    Jan 21, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerNewcastle, King CountyWork & Pay

15. The World-Famous 'Nonpareil' Comes to Fairhaven

    Jack Dempsey, the legendary middleweight champion, brings a high-profile glove contest to the local Casino Theatre, electrifying the town.

    May 6, 1890Fairhaven HeraldBellingham, Whatcom CountyNightlife

16. The Fifteen-Inning Thriller at Madison Street Park

    A grueling, marathon baseball game between Seattle and Spokane ends in a walk-off home run that turns the crowd into 'howling maniacs.'

    Jul 18, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMadison Street Park, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

17. The Teenaged Inventors of North Seattle

    Two brothers, aged 13 and 15, harness the power of electricity to drive boats, light homes, and saw wood along the Seattle waterfront.

    Jul 31, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

18. The Railroads Are Coming for Your River: Milwaukee Road’s Secret Land Grab

    Agents of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad are quietly buying up ranches along the Columbia below Priest Rapids, signaling a massive hydroelectric and irrigation project that will reshape the region's power grid.

    Apr 23, 1914The Kennewick Courier-ReporterBeverly, Grant CountyFollow the Money

19. Seattle’s Fourth of July: A City Adorned in Light and Iron

    As the nation celebrates its birthday, Seattle’s business leaders have transformed downtown into a spectacle of gas jets, electric lamps, and iron arches, proving that the young city is ready for its moment on the national stage.

    Jun 30, 1899The Seattle StarColumbia Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

20. The 17,000-Horsepower Plan to Electrify Seattle

    Engineers proposed an 800-foot steel pipe, a tunnel through basalt, and a 23-mile copper line to turn Snoqualmie Falls into the city’s power source.

    Jan 20, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSnoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie, King CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

21. The Power Station That Bet on Newport’s Future

    A Chicago engineer brings plans for a fireproof power station at Washington and Pine—and a 30-mile line meant to electrify Newport’s future.

    Aug 12, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentNewport, Pend Oreille CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

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