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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1915 | 1 |
9 stories matching grotesqu
- The 'Hard Times' Social in Black Diamond
Coal miners and their families in Black Diamond held a 'Hard Times' social, where the most bedraggled costumes were awarded prizes, offering a brief moment of levity during a period of economic strain.
- The Great Population Bluff of 1887
A scathing editorial exposes how local politicians inflated King County’s census data, revealing the long history of 'boosterism' in Seattle's growth.
- The End of the Christmas Candle
Electric lighting emerged in 1915 as a revolutionary safety solution to the annual tragedy of candle-lit trees burning down homes.
- A Night of Masks and Revelry
Yakima’s firemen transform the opera house into a glittering masquerade, capturing the spirit of a frontier city at play.
- Firefighters’ Masquerade Ball Honors Washington’s Birthday
A lively community celebration on Washington’s birthday brought a colorful mix of costumes to Koehler’s hall.
- Diva vs. The Property Man
A backstage spat at a local theater reveals the off-stage antics of an amateur dramatic troupe.
- County Money Drained Into a Doomed Bank — and an Effigy on Dock Street
A Whatcom banker stands accused of steering $50,000 in county funds into a failing institution, while angry citizens string up a stuffed likeness of him on a telegraph pole.
- The Ball That Shook Seattle: A Night of Masks, Money, and 'Transposed Sexes'
In the damp cold of February 1877, Seattle’s elite gathered for a masquerade ball that defied social norms, featuring cross-dressing performers and a prize for the 'best sustained character'—a rare glimpse into the territory's vibrant, chaotic social life.
- A Hanging in the Armory: The Unpopular Corporal and the Men Who Stuffed His Uniform
Company E turned a grudge into theatre — an effigy rigged with an electric-light wire, a pair of odd-coloured glasses and a chalked gravestone — and a military court may follow.