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75 stories matching fraction
- Miners’ Liens and a $20,000 Mortgage Land on the Spokane Lead Mines
A Michigan creditor and a Spokane lienholder pursue the Metaline district mining company over unpaid notes and laborers’ claims.
- Founding the University of Washington
In 1861, commissioners reported on the hard-won construction of the territory's first university, built from scratch with donated land and volunteer labor.
- Speculation on Washington Street
A quick property flip in Seattle nets a 70 percent return in less than a year.
- The Day the Wind Blew the Farm Away
A survey reveals that a five-acre plot of land near Finley has literally blown away, leaving only a fraction of an acre behind.
- Kennewick Faces Budget Cut for Local Roads
Legal wrangling with the county leaves city streets with a fraction of expected repair funds.
- The Heirs of a Ghost: A Legal Battle for Seattle’s Empty Land
In the early days of Washington Territory, three women stepped forward to claim an inheritance in a town that barely existed, warning off any buyers from purchasing land they believed was theirs.
- The Sentinel of the Sound
A citizen’s poetic tribute to the indispensable role of the press in the frontier life of 1880s Seattle.
- The Great Incorporation Boom of 1890
A look back at the corporate frenzy that defined Washington's frontier economy at the dawn of 1891.
- The Price of Admission
When a new federal war tax on admissions threatens cinema prices, the local Princess theater owner decides to absorb the cost rather than pass it to patrons.
- The 'Merlin Park' Real Estate Swindle
An East Coast investor uncovers a fraudulent Seattle land scheme that hyped a distant property as a 'queenly suburb.'
- The Price of Progress on Lake Washington
A century before Seattle’s modern infrastructure battles, property owners in 1891 fought a railroad’s attempt to claim waterfront for a 'Belt Line' at a discount.
- The Ghost of Conconully
The Okanogan county seat was reduced to smoldering ruins in just two hours, leaving only the courthouse and schoolhouse standing.
- The World's Fair Scandal
Thousands of copies of Washington's 'World's Fair History' vanish into thin air, leaving local binders unpaid and the state's reputation in jeopardy.
- A Bitter Courtroom Fight Over Bank Accounts
A White Bluffs farmer sues to block his wife from withdrawing savings and accuses her of reckless spending on two Star automobiles.
- The Great School Land Scandal
A scathing state report reveals that county commissioners are exploiting their power to fix land prices, effectively buying state-owned school lands for themselves.
- Farmers and Railroad Kings: A Unequal Debate
Walla Walla's wheat growers face a deck stacked against them as railroad presidents arrive to ‘discuss’ freight rates on their own terms.
- The Shadow Boss of Washington Politics
A political operative creates a 'campaign committee' to mask his influence after intense public backlash from his own party.
- Tacoma's $700,000 Water Deal Springs a Leak — and the Taxpayers Ask Who Pays
The city bought a water and light plant that delivers a fraction of what it promised. Now a suit is threatened, a superintendent's job looks 'cut and dried,' and a ratepayer on the outskirts wants to know why he must pay for water he cannot get.
- The Struggle for Walla Walla’s Gravity Water System
City officials and private citizens spar over the future of the municipal water supply as debates over Mill Creek and private rights boil over.
- The Ashes of Affluence: How Seattle’s Burnt District Became a Goldmine
While the city mourns the destruction of its commercial heart, savvy investors are turning charred lots into fortunes, with property values tripling in just years.
- The Filthy State of Seattle's Bakeries
A state labor inspector finds local bread shops in 'vile' condition, prompting a push for stricter sanitation laws and oversight.
- The University of Washington Finds a Permanent Home
Legislature authorizes the construction of a new campus on the shores of Lake Union, marking a major turning point for the state's educational future.
- Tacoma’s Water War: A City Divided Over Private Utility Buyout
A heated municipal battle erupts as citizens protest the proposed purchase of a private water plant, fearing corruption and an exorbitant price tag.
- The Dream of a Waterway: Seattle's 1892 Vision
Before the Panama Canal, Washington's Senator John B. Allen championed a trans-hemispheric waterway through Nicaragua to liberate the Pacific Northwest from the high costs of rail transit.
- Tacoma’s Million-Dollar Water Scandal
Citizens are fighting to repudiate a massive bond issue for a municipal water plant they claim is worth only a fraction of the cost.