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1. The Theater's Most Unusual Prize Competition

   A Seattle theater manager plans a competition to crown the 'handsomest' baby and mother, with $1,000 in prizes on the line.

   Mar 18, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

2. The Handsomest House in Snoqualmie Burned While Its Owner Was in Seattle

   O. D. Guilfoil learns by telegram that his family fled a two-story showplace as it burned; the $7,000 loss was uninsured.

   Mar 14, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSnoqualmie, King CountyDisasters

3. Midnight Panic at the St. Cloud

   A spectacular five-story blaze in downtown Seattle forces guests to flee in their nightclothes, leaving a landmark hotel in ruins.

   Jan 27, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyDisasters

4. The Chief's Daughter in the Shadow of the City Named for Her Father

   A San Francisco Chronicle correspondent visits Princess Angeline in her Seattle shack and finds the city proudly carving her father's face on a new business block while his daughter lives on charity.

   Apr 9, 1892The Olympia TribuneSeattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

5. The Town That Grew in Ninety Days—and Then Waited for the Railroad

   In 1890, promoters carved Anacortes out of the Fidalgo Island forest, sold lots at galloping prices, and promised a transcontinental rail terminal. Two years later, the trains still stopped short and the company wharf was closed to the public.

   Apr 11, 1892The Olympia TribuneAnacortes, Skagit CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

6. The Renegade's Return: A Confederate Exile's Seattle Confession

   Decades after the Civil War, an expatriate recounts his painful realization of displacement while watching the American flag from across a border.

   Jun 11, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King County

7. Congregationalists Secure a Prime Downtown Corner

   The church purchases a lot at Second and University, planning for a new landmark in the city’s heart.

   Jul 27, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

8. The Ten-Foot Map That Would Sewer Olympia

   In 1891, an engineer drew a room-sized map and planned a drainage system for a city of 20,000—if the council could get around the Seventh Street tunnel.

   Oct 20, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

9. The Steamer Nellie's Grand Entrance

   Snohomish celebrates the launch of a custom-built steamer, signaling a new era of river navigation.

   Aug 26, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyBoom & Bust

10. A Night of Dolls, Knives, and Highland Flings

    Olympia’s 'Little Helpers' sewing society hosts a lively children's party at the Unitarian church, complete with fancy dancing and a contest for the oldest, ugliest, and most historic toys.

    Mar 19, 1892The Olympia TribuneUnitarian Church, OlympiaStrange But True

11. The Women Who Packed Washington Into a World's Fair

    At the Olympia Hotel, local women joined two state commissioners to plan wood carvings, wildflowers, art and industry for Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition.

    Apr 2, 1892The Olympia TribuneOlympia Hotel, Olympia, Thurston CountyBoom & Bust

12. The Governor’s Daughter Weds Beneath Ivy and Calla Lilies

    Olympia’s St. John’s Episcopal Church filled with hundreds as Lizzie Ferry married Hon. John Leary, then a steamer carried the wedding party to the governor’s mansion and on toward Japan.

    Apr 21, 1892The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyScandal

13. Seattle Rising: The Blocks Going Up Where the Fire Burned

    Dexter Horton & Co. reopens on the same corner it held before the great fire, as new brick blocks, houses and excavations push out across the young city.

    Feb 20, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

14. A Dressmaker Offered to Sew Seattle’s Library Out of Trouble

    With the public library’s appropriation nearly gone and no new books leaving the shelves, an anonymous patron proposed making dresses for commission members and giving the proceeds to the library.

    Mar 4, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Public Library, SeattleCity Hall

15. The Night a Gilded Age Mansion Lit the Road to Its Own Party

    In 1894, Horace and Susan Henry welcomed nearly 200 guests to their new showpiece house above Lake Union—then sent them home by special streetcar under a private line of electric lights.

    Aug 19, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

16. The Pride of Aberdeen

    A new brick business block on Heron Street marks a milestone in Aberdeen’s development.

    Dec 31, 1891Aberdeen HeraldHeron Street, Aberdeen, Grays Harbor CountyBoom & Bust

17. The Dangerous Burden of Judging a Seattle Baby Show

    Five of Seattle’s leading citizens face social catastrophe and financial ruin after being unwillingly drafted as judges for a high-stakes baby competition.

    Sep 7, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

18. The Vandalism of Seattle’s Fences

    An 1880 editorial decries the 'wanton vandalism' of men and boys who whittled, tore, and marked up the city’s decorative fences, signaling a growing urban friction between private pride and public mischief.

    Oct 30, 1880The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

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