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1. The Broken Promise of the Puyallup Coal Road

   A political scandal erupts as Seattle accuses an attorney of pocketing fees while failing to stop the Northern Pacific Railway from seizing massive swathes of King County land.

   Oct 30, 1880The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · Scandal

2. The Stabber Died Under an Alias at the County Hospital

   Ten years after he stabbed a companion on the Lake Washington shore, a dying man at the county hospital was recognized as the same fugitive — still hiding behind the name George Rolsom.

   Mar 25, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

3. The Fever and the Fall: Life in a Frontier Boomtown

   A vivid account of the psychological and physical intensity of rapid urban growth—and the devastating silence left behind when the bubble bursts.

   Dec 4, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

4. The Card Sharps Who Picked the Wrong Captain—and Sailed to Peru

   Two Seattle gamblers went to Port Townsend to fleece the master of the British ship Dimsdale. He found out, shanghaied them both, and set sail for Callao.

   Apr 3, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyNightlife

5. The Cowboy of Elliott Bay

   A Spokane journalist turns cowboy on the open water, lassoing a fleeing deer from the deck of a Puget Sound steamer.

   Jan 1, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerDuwamish Head, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

6. The Perilous Midnight Voyage of the Granger

   A harrowing account of a small vessel braving a fierce storm on Puget Sound in 1877.

   Nov 10, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish River, Snohomish, Snohomish County

7. The Customs Feud That Fired on a Chilean Bark

   A Chilean vessel left Tacoma without clearance and was chased by a U.S. revenue cutter in Puget Sound—an international incident sparked by jealousy between Chile's local representatives.

   Oct 18, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

8. A Mechanical Solution to a Medical Mishap

   When medical brute force failed to reset a man's dislocated shoulder, a local hospital resorted to industrial machinery.

   Jul 2, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

9. A Chicago Broker Returns to Find Olympia Unrecognizable

   Away for more than two decades, I. I. Hackney marvels at the capital city's real-estate boom, new statehouse ambitions, and the wilderness he once knew as Tacoma.

   Nov 11, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyBoom & Bust

10. The Snow Shoveler’s Lesson in Seattle Manners

    A local woman learns that dignity isn't just about hard work—it’s about how you carry yourself, even when clearing a sidewalk.

    Feb 20, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

11. The Sea Captain vs. The Dairy Cow

    A retired mariner swaps the shipping lanes of Seattle for the pastures of Kennewick, only to find cows more stubborn than any crew.

    Nov 1, 1917The Kennewick Courier-ReporterKennewick, Benton CountyStrange But True

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