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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 6 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1918 | 1 |
30 stories matching improb
- The Skagit River Claims the Steamer Josephine
A local steamer is reported to be in a 'very perilous position' after sinking in the Skagit River, with its hurricane deck submerged.
- The Sad Fate of the Umatilla
A survey of the shipwrecked vessel confirms the total loss, with underwriters bracing for the salvage auction.
- The Mill That Left Town: Snoqualmie's Hope Goes to Portland
After a December fire, the town waited for a rebuild. Instead, Park & Lacy is hauling the machinery south, closing a $75,000 chapter.
- The Knife Wounds on the Railroad Tracks
A man called Downey told police two strangers attacked him. Officers suspected he had been selling liquor to Native people—and that a fight over the illicit trade had turned violent.
- The Makah Mariners Who Returned from the Spirit Land
Two sailors picked up 600 miles out at sea by the bark Buena Vista were thought dead, only to reappear at Neah Bay to a hero's welcome.
- The Ghost of a $30,000 Debt
A bitter court battle over a disputed promissory note reveals the messy financial dealings of the deceased.
- The Dry Spell on Eureka Flat
Farmers are stalling wheat planting as a rare November drought threatens the upcoming harvest.
- The Territorial Governor’s Malice: A False Rumor of Corruption Exposed
In June 1876, the *Puget Sound Dispatch* launches a fierce defense of Washington Territory Governor William H. Wallace against a malicious slander campaign claiming he was embezzling public funds.
- Late Night Ambush Leaves Tacoma Man Fighting for Life
A lone gunman remains at large after a brutal struggle left a young victim with critical gunshot wounds.
- The Great Liquor Heist: A Partner Vanishes with $2,000 of Goods
In a mystery that baffled Seattle's wholesale liquor trade in April 1882, one partner opens the store to find the stock largely gone, while his business associate has fled town without a word.
- The Coming of 'War Bread'
Federal authorities mandate a shift in milling standards as Washington residents are warned to prepare for lower-grade flour and higher prices.
- The Abduction of a Lighthouse Keeper's Son
A mysterious robbery at the Admiralty Head light station left a 16-year-old boy missing and officials suspecting passing opium smugglers or indigenous travelers.
- The Forgotten Map: When North Idaho Was Seattle’s Neighbor
For years, North Idaho residents pushed to break away from their own state and join Washington Territory, citing geographic reality and political isolation.
- The Eight-Hour Day That Was Amended to Death
A bold proposal to limit public works labor to eight hours faces a grim fate in the Washington State Senate, where 'amendments' have stripped the bill of its power before it can even reach the House.
- The Contract Squabble that Held Seattle Baseball Hostage
In 1891, the Pacific Northwest League’s amateur-professional status was in disarray, and a tug-of-war over star player Abner Powell became a litmus test for Seattle's rising civic pride.
- The Deadly Plumbing of American Hotels
A leading medical journal warns travelers that the sanitary conditions in American and Canadian hotels are putting lives at risk.
- The Bold Bid for Seattle’s Shipyards
An 1889 editorial argues that if San Francisco can successfully build naval warships, Washington Territory—with its vast timber and coal reserves—should be the next center of American maritime power.
- The Newspaper Editor Who 'Drowned' in the Sound
After an editor’s unexpected delay while traveling to report on the regional resources of Washington, his local readers spiraled into a panic—leading to a very awkward, very alive homecoming.
- A Timber From the Lost Collier: Wreckage of the Montserrat Comes Ashore at Cape Flattery
Six feet of painted stanchion, dragged from the sea off Tatoosh Island, convinces veteran mariners that the missing coal ship Montserrat has finally given up a piece of herself.
- A Cowardly Assault on Third Street
When a sick man defended his son from a neighbor's violence, the local justice system failed to provide justice.
- The Anatomy of a 'Drunk' in 1883
A local observer breaks down the social mechanics of the saloon-crawl, from the first casual invitation to the inevitable collapse on the floor.
- A Ship's Name-Board Washes Ashore 115 Miles From Where the Ivanhoe Went Down
A lighthouse keeper's wife finds the port quarter name-board of a lost coal freighter buried in the sand at Willapa Bay — and a Navy inspector uses the currents to argue the ship foundered far south of Cape Flattery.
- The Confederate Major Who Set Type in Seattle
A German-born printer who saw Fort Sumter bombarded and later joined Seattle's typographical union died at Providence Hospital, taking an improbable Civil War past with him.
- The Federal Jobs That Came With Life Tenure
A new civil-service order gives Puget Sound customs officers—from deputies to private secretaries—protection that even a change of administration may not break.
- The Free Train Passes That Kept a Senate Seat in Play
In Olympia, a deadlocked legislature, a withdrawn reform candidate, and John L. Wilson's railroad-funded lobby decide who will represent Washington in the U.S. Senate.