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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 9 |
| 1876 | 41 |
| 1877 | 28 |
| 1878 | 14 |
| 1879 | 6 |
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| 1895 | 32 |
| 1898 | 2 |
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| 1900 | 4 |
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| 1903 | 41 |
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819 stories matching free
- Silver Men Pack the Armory and Demand a Senator Who Won't Waver
Populists, Republicans and Democrats shared a Seattle stage to demand the legislature elect a 'free silver' U.S. senator — then a lawyer stole the show doing an impression of a rival orator.
- Seattle's Silver Crusaders Packed the Armory and Demanded a Free-Silver Senator
Populists, Democrats and Republicans found one thing to agree on in 1895: unlimited silver coinage—and a Legislature that would send a silver man to Washington.
- When a Railroad Pass Was a Bribe in a Pocket
A Tacoma editor demands Washington's lawmakers enforce the constitutional ban on free train passes, arguing the 'courtesy' bought influence one legislator at a time.
- Free Wool, Free Lumber: Washington's Mill Towns Brace for the Tariff Shock
Seattle and Tacoma manufacturers warn that the new Havemeyer tariff will cut wages, ruin sheep raisers and hand the lumber trade to Canadian timbermen.
- The Price of a Free Ticket
In 1883, the Post-Intelligencer took a stand against the 'free pass' corruption, where railroad companies leveraged free travel to buy the silence of regional editors.
- The 'Free Lot' Scam
A Tacoma resident exposes a real estate scheme offering 'free' land to lure investors into paying high notary fees for worthless property.
- A Free Kindergarten Wants the Old South School—and the City's Horses Out
The Free Kindergarten Association asks for the old South School building, now the city stables, promising donated labor and materials—but the school board cannot muster a quorum to answer.
- The Political Economy of 'Free Silver'
An editorial critique of the Populist push for silver currency, warning that inflation would only devastate the working class.
- Private Employment Agents Fight Back Against the City's Free Labor Bureau
Accused of swindling job-seekers, a Seattle employment firm blames organized labor and a union-backed city bureau for a campaign to put it out of business — and dares the city to investigate.
- Peniel Mission Struggles to Feed Tacoma's Growing Unemployed Population
After launching a daily free meal service that is already overwhelmed by 200 hungry men nightly, a local mission considers opening a free shelter to address the deepening city crisis.
- The Free Train Passes That Kept a Senate Seat in Play
In Olympia, a deadlocked legislature, a withdrawn reform candidate, and John L. Wilson's railroad-funded lobby decide who will represent Washington in the U.S. Senate.
- The Battle Over Public Water on the Speedway
A city council dispute erupts over whether the Riding and Driving Association should get free water for the Yakima Avenue speedway while businesses pay for their own.
- Kennewick’s Free Library Runs Out of City Money
With city revenues short, the Kennewick Public Library must raise a year’s rent by March 1 or risk losing the free reading room that served hundreds of children.
- A Michigan Orator Packs the Armory and Rides Down the Populists
Roswell G. Horr brings the Republican gospel of protection and sound money to a standing-room crowd in Seattle — and turns the free-silver men in the hall into the evening's comedy act.
- The Railway Bribe: Why Editors Shouldn't Take Free Rides
An editorial critique on how railroad corporations use free travel passes to compromise the independence of public officials and journalists.
- Seattle’s First Free Kindergarten Opens in a Remodeled South End School
A San Francisco-trained teacher, a borrowed school building, and a training school for young women launch a civic experiment in early education.
- Free Mail Delivery Is Coming to Olympia—If the City Numbers Its Houses
Postmaster V. A. Milroy says carriers, boxes and three new routes will be ready by New Year’s Day, but two-thirds of the city’s houses still lack numbers and property owners must pay to add them.
- Six "Extra Secretaries" and $60: How Seattle Paid Its Way Into the Tacoma Fair
A committee of Seattle boosters comes home from Tacoma with free space, free light and a free steamboat ride — then talks the city council into funding an exhibit through a bookkeeping dodge.
- The Silver Fight Waiting Inside Spokane’s Republican Convention
Nine Supreme Court hopefuls, three congressional candidates, and a free-silver bloc turn Washington’s 1894 state convention into a backroom brawl before it even opens.
- The Threat of Slave Labor in Washington
A local writer warns laborers that the introduction of enslaved people into the territory could crash wages and destroy the dignity of free labor.
- The Tariff Trap: How Washington’s Congressman Warned Against the 'Grasping Monopolies'
Rep. Scott Finn delivers a fiery two-hour speech in Congress, arguing that protectionist tariffs don't help workers but instead feed trusts and hurt farmers.
- Calls for a Ban on Immigration
A U.S. Senator proposes a sweeping one-year suspension of immigration, citing fears of disease and labor competition.
- Seattle’s Food and Shelter Depot Served 5,572 Free Meals in December
The charity’s weekly report defended free meals, promised work for the able-bodied, and insisted it served all comers regardless of race or religion.
- Senator Squire Speaks Out Against 'The Day of Doom'
Washington State’s Senator Watson Squire takes to the Senate floor to argue that the pending Democratic tariff reform will destroy the state's lumber and mining industries.
- Seattle's Free Kindergarten Prepares to Open Its Doors
A new charity school at the old South School on Main Street will offer free early education and train a new generation of kindergarten teachers.
Also about this, in other words
- The Closure of the Free Employment Bureau
Everett’s decision to shutter its city-run employment office leaves unemployed laborers at the mercy of predatory agencies.
- Books for the Common Good
An anonymous businessman donates $100 in gold to expand the Y.M.C.A. reading room for the working men of Seattle.
- The Price of a Free Ride
Seattle's press praises legislators who refused corporate-funded train passes, calling the practice a form of bribery.
- The Free Real Estate Gamble of 1876
Facing a housing crunch, a prominent developer offers free land to anyone willing to build—a desperate move to spur growth in North Seattle.
- Free Shacks for the Taking
A condemned row of buildings in the downtown core is offered to anyone willing to haul them away.
- Police Vaccinate the 'Free-and-Easy' Saloon Crowd
Public health efforts to contain a smallpox outbreak lead to forced vaccinations in saloons south of Yesler Avenue, with arrests for those who resist.
- City Employment Chief Fired for 'Neglect'
Mayor Fawcett ousts superintendent of city free employment bureau, citing conflicts of interest.
- The Politics of Snake Oil
A scathing editorial comparing the Populist movement to medical quackery and the sensationalism of the era's 'wonder books.'