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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 4 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 6 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1904 | 1 |
33 stories matching herein
- King County Auditor Accused of Padding His Salary with Extra Jobs
A letter to the editor details how Auditor Frank Twichell drew extra pay as purchasing agent, building-fund agent, and legislative lobbyist—all while collecting his regular salary.
- The Hungry Democrats of Adams County
A local lawyer files a mock legal complaint humorously detailing the political squabbling over patronage and power in late 19th-century Washington.
- The Unsettled Estate on the Edge of Lake Union
A legal notice from 1877 reveals the struggle of a widow attempting to settle a deceased spouse's debts by liquidating land near the wild, undeveloped frontier of Seattle's Lake Union.
- The Judge Who Declared Unions Illegal
In a landmark charge to the grand jury in 1893, Chief Justice Thomas Burke declared that any combination of workers preventing employment was a 'conspiracy against the law of the land,' effectively criminalizing the labor movement before Washington even became a state.
- The Wharf King’s Victory: Yesler Wins Millions in Land Battle
Judge Lichtenberg rules that the state cannot seize waterfront property without paying just compensation, halting the Harbor Line Commission and protecting H.L. Yesler’s empire.
- The Mugwump’s Ledger: How Seattle’s Territorial Secretary Gamed the Law Printing Contract
A fierce editorial exposes Secretary Owings for delaying the publication of territorial laws to favor a cronies’ printing bid, while padding the bill with 40 pages of his own party platform.
- Seattle's 1895 Warning: Secure Cedar River Water Before Private Speculators Do
City Engineer R. H. Thomson says Seattle's overworked pumps cannot survive another summer and urges the city to buy the Cedar River watershed, dams and reservoir sites while it still can.
- Knockout Drops at the Standard Saloon
A Tacoma man swears he was drugged, fleeced of $210, and knocked toothless—then asks the city to revoke the saloon's license.
- The Battle for the Seattle Waterfront
As the Washington State Constitutional Convention nears its conclusion, delegates engage in a fierce final debate over the ownership of tide lands and the rights of the state versus private corporations.
- Federal Crackdown on Chinese Merchants
The Treasury Department orders Pacific coast ports to tighten scrutiny of certificates allowing Chinese laborers to travel, labeling many merchant claims as fraudulent.
- King County Commissioners Billed Taxpayers for 25,943 Miles—More Than the Earth's Circumference
A letter to the editor by F. F. Ames accuses the King County board of padding mileage, charging for trips to Olympia, and paying an unauthorized colleague from county funds—violating state law.
- A Homesteader, an Indian Agent and the Land at Lake Chelan
When a federal agent prepared to forcibly remove a homesteader from land newly allotted to Colville Indians, Judge Hanford drew a line: the eviction would have to go through the courts.
- The State Tries to Soften the Panic for Delinquent Taxpayers
The Senate passes a bill remitting penalties and interest on delinquent 1893–94 taxes, citing “great financial stringency” and declaring an emergency.
- An Entomologist's Dire Warning for Seattle Orchards
A local resident documents a massive infestation of scale and aphid pests, calling for a city-wide inspection to save Seattle’s fruit trees.
- The University’s Dilemma: Should UW Sell Its Prime Seattle Land?
In 1890, the University of Washington’s regents warned that its current campus in the heart of the city was a financial and educational liability, urging the state to sell the valuable property and move to quieter grounds.
- The Unemployed Built a Co-op That Served 10,000 Meals in 34 Days
In the winter of 1894-95, 130 jobless Seattleites pooled donations and odd jobs into the Industrial Co-operative Society—and reported a $52.10 balance.
- The City That Wants to Be the Boston of the Pacific
While San Francisco fretfully watches its own supremacy, an 1880 editorial predicts a rising Puget Sound metropolis of millions.
- The Battle for Belltown's Fire Engine
A citizen's fiery demand that the city stop hoarding firefighting resources in the business district and grant the northern residents the protection they pay for.
- State Supreme Court Upholds Lake Washington Canal Contract, Clearing the Way for Tide-Land Transformation
The Washington Supreme Court rules that the Lake Washington Waterway Company's contract to dig a canal and fill tide lands is constitutional, rejecting a landowner's challenge and affirming the state's power to remake the waterfront.
- The Secret Fortune of the Bereaved Bride
A newlywed widow, grieving the loss of her husband in a tragic, rapid courtship, remains unaware of the $10,000 legacy held in her name.
- The Oil That Could Burn the City: Seattle’s First Major Fire Safety Law
In a move to prevent catastrophic blazes, the Common Council passes strict new rules for storing gasoline and kerosene, forcing merchants to build brick vaults or face heavy fines.
- The Tax Protest on Madison Street
A Seattle property owner challenges the city's assessment for Madison Street improvements, calling the fees illegal and a cloud on the title.
- The Case for an Irrigation University
Yakima boosters argue that the arid environment makes the city the only logical choice for the new state Agricultural College.
- Engineering a Solution for the Fourteenth Street Slide
City Engineer Thomson outlines an expensive plan to halt the recurring, dangerous earth movements in the Beacon Hill district.
- The Mother Who Disinherited Her Sons Based on Financial Competence
A Seattle widow pens a remarkably candid will, detailing exactly why she believes her sons are incapable of managing her estate while praising her daughter's business acumen.