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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 4 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
32 stories matching gem
- The Last Stake: A Gambler's Ruin at a Seattle Card Table
A cautionary tale of a high-rolling stranger, a priceless gem, and the silent, unblinking eye of the house lookout.
- Washington State’s Hidden Fire Opals
Gem expert George Frederick Kunz reveals that a jeweler's chance find in a well-digging site near the Idaho border uncovered a treasure trove of opals.
- The Fiery End of the Steamer Gem
Tragedy strikes on Puget Sound as the pioneer steamer burns and sinks, claiming five lives.
- The Last of the Pioneer Trees
A landmark locust tree, planted in 1865, is cut down to make room for modern concrete sidewalks in front of the Gem saloon.
- The Tragic Death of a Great Northern Laborer
A railroad worker dies following a brutal brawl at a Third Street saloon, leading to the arrest of a local proprietor.
- The New Gem Restaurant Advertises Employment Stance
A popular Ellensburg eatery signals its alignment with the era's exclusionary labor policies through a public advertisement.
- The Fancy Cow at the Olympic
An Arlington-raised butterfat producer makes a grand entrance at a Seattle banquet hall to promote local milk.
- When Seattle Society Turned Shakespeare Into a Skirt-Dance Spectacle
The Seattle Athletic Club packed Cordray's Theater for three nights with an all-local Shakespeare travesty, imported costumes, and a cameo from 'everybody' in society.
- The Forced Exodus: Seattle’s Chinese Merchants Face Expulsion
Under immense community pressure and threats of violence in 1885, Chinese residents of Seattle report on their forced liquidation of property and preparations to leave the city.
- A City Turns Out for Its Dead: Seattle's Memorial Day, 1895
Three hundred and five veterans, three militia companies, high-school cadets and a twelve-foot column of flowers marched Front Street and filled the Seattle Theater — while the Board of Health kept the schoolchildren from singing.
- Billy Fife: Self-Taught Caricaturist of Frontier Seattle
A biography of Billy Fife, a sailor and self-taught caricaturist whose sharp wit and rare artistic skill captured Seattle's frontier life.
- The Misery of the Miser’s Hoard
A destitute family in 1870s Seattle survives a devastating house fire only to unearth a fortune hidden beneath the ashes of their former home.
- A Silver Chest for the Political Boss
Prominent Republicans gather at the Rainier Club to honor John H. McGraw with a lavish testimonial of solid silver for his role in the senatorial contest.
- Spokane Dressed for a Railroad King—and Waited Until Midnight
Spokane Falls spent a week building arches and hanging evergreens for Henry Villard's Northern Pacific excursion, but delayed trains turned the grand reception into a series of after-dark whistle-stops—and Ulysses S. Grant drew the crowd that the railroad had promised.
- The Midnight Thief at the Diamond Safe
When a daring burglar and a treacherous servant targeted the famous Etchin diamonds, a young woman faced a terrifying ordeal to protect the loot.
- The Pugilist Who Panned the Performance
When legendary heavyweight John L. Sullivan took a turn on the Seattle stage, his performance was less 'histrionic' than 'fighting drunk.'
- The Governor’s Rally in Snohomish
A political procession of 1,000 torchbearers marches through Snohomish to support John H. McGraw’s gubernatorial bid.
- The Struggle for the Snake River
The Open River Association works to break a railroad-backed monopoly on river traffic.
- Russell Conwell Urges Tacoma to Find Its Own 'Acres of Diamonds'
The famous orator visits the First Christian Church to challenge Tacoma residents to recognize the latent wealth and potential in their own backyard.
- Two Miles Perched on the Lower Circle of a Rainbow
A Shelton legislator's private letter describing a steamer passage up Hammersley's Inlet becomes the best prose in the paper — a circle of prismatic color, starfish, glaciers and one awestruck captain.
- A Polish Rancher in Muddy Boots Sits Down at the Piano and Steals the Show
Two hundred people in fancy dress fill the Olympia Theater to raise $83.75 for a Sherman Valley schoolhouse — with the lieutenant governor on fiddle, the mayor managing, and the sage of the valley in blue overalls at the keyboard.
- The Boom on the Heights: How Seattle’s Real Estate Hype Reached for the Sky in 1888
Long before today's high-rise fever, ambitious developers were betting on the future of Seattle's hillsides with promises of a 'Queen City' rising from the sound.
- A Diamond Ring and a Broken Romance: The Saloon Trial of 'Sodie' Davis
When a French hotel keeper and her much younger lover quarrelled, a diamond ring became the star exhibit in a Seattle larceny trial — with a will, a fortune in gems, and a $5-a-day allowance all laid before the jury.
- Seattle Athletic Club Dazzles with 'Midwinter Night's Dream'
A packed Cordray's Theater applauds a lavish amateur travesty of Shakespeare, complete with cross-dressing fairies and a floral tribute to the librettist.
- The Fake $10 and the Free Meal: Counterfeiters Busted, Then Turned Loose
Two alleged bogus-money passers are caught at a Newport restaurant — but the federal attorney can't even tell if the bill was counterfeit, so they pay for their suppers and walk.
Also about this, in other words
- The Case of the Disappearing Diamond
A waitress at a local union kitchen accuses her suitor of petit larceny after a romantic outing results in a missing gem.
- A Gem Rush in Whitman County
Prospectors uncover veins of onyx and fire opal near Colfax, sparking excitement about the region's hidden mineral wealth.
- The Diamond Stud Caught Between Two Wives
A tangle of divorce, debt, and pawnbroking ends up in court as two wives fight over the same piece of jewelry.
- A Social Break at Black Diamond
A local church breaks with 'sepulchral' tradition by hosting a social gathering that crosses racial and social lines.
- A Senator’s Gift of Stone
Senator Watson C. Squire offers the city free rock from his Duwamish River quarries to help jumpstart local street paving efforts.
- A Costly Penny-Pinching Heist
Local burglars use high-grade explosives to crack an unlocked safe at a lumber company, netting exactly five cents in copper.
- Fraternity on the Diamond: The Odd Fellows' Grand Celebration
When Seattle’s Odd Fellows hosted a massive multi-day anniversary celebration in 1892, they turned the local baseball park into a scene of chaotic amateur athletics, friendly rivalries, and unbridled civic enthusiasm.
- Mining Disaster Claims Young Worker at Black Diamond
A tragic accident at the coal mine leaves a widow mourning her only son.