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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
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| 1885 | 1 |
| 1887 | 2 |
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34 stories matching infanc
- A Dangerous Labor in the Sawmills of 1876
A worker suffers a debilitating injury at a local wharf, highlighting the routine hazards faced by laborers in Seattle’s industrial infancy.
- Designing the Washington Territory Seal
An early proposal for the official seal that featured a log cabin, a settler’s wagon, and the Chinook jargon word 'Alki'.
- The Rapid Transformation of Grays Harbor
A traveler returning to Aberdeen after ten years finds the town unrecognizable amidst an industrial boom.
- Railroad Tycoon Weighs In on Tacoma’s Future
C.B. Wright, former Northern Pacific president, talks shop on the ‘Hunt System,’ the Great Northern’s expansion, and his unexpected desire to see the city take control of the water works.
- The Cable Car King vs. The Free Press
A transit monopoly manager attempts to bully a newspaper into silence by pulling advertisements after they report on poor service.
- The Day the Talking Machine Arrived in Seattle
In 1878, Seattle citizens gathered at Yesler’s Hall for a demonstration of Thomas Edison's 'wonderful invention' that could capture and replay human speech.
- The Smallpox Mayor of Old Tacoma
When an outbreak of smallpox threatened the young town of New Tacoma in 1881, its first mayor took drastic, solitary action to save the community.
- Ex-Governor Ferry’s Case for Washington
Former Governor Elisha Ferry compares Washington’s explosive growth to California’s stagnation, arguing that railroads are the lifeblood of civic progress.
- The Industrial Ambition of the Seattle Halibut Trade
How the establishment of a $10,000 curing plant at the foot of Pike Street in 1889 signaled Seattle’s transformation into a massive commercial fishing hub.
- The Gridiron Arrives in Seattle
A historic clash between the Seattle Athletic Club and the State University marks the beginning of the football craze in the Northwest.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Consolidates Its Grip on the Northwest
Railroad president Robert Harris confirms plans to lease the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, signaling a massive consolidation of regional transit.
- Fairhaven's First Chemical Fire Engine
Without a municipal water system for fire protection, local business leaders are importing a chemical hand engine to prevent city-wide disaster.
- The Unbuilt Boulevard That Should Have Been
In 1889, a Seattle editorial warned that the city's future prosperity depended on securing land for a scenic public drive before the city outgrew its potential.
- The Black Gold Rush of 1888
As Seattle's industry boomed, the city's hunger for coal outpaced its supply, triggering a frantic expansion of mines across the territory.
- The War on 'Embalmed' Milk
State Dairy and Food Commissioner E. A. McDonald reflects on the rise of Washington's dairy industry and his crusade against chemical preservatives in the food supply.
- The Boomtown Hopes of Marysville, 1885
Before it was a suburban hub, a settler reports back on the 'tender years' of Marysville and the desperate need for roads to connect the new frontier.
- The Real Estate Magnate of 1883
A visiting journalist encounters a Seattle real estate booster who predicts the city will dwarf Portland and eventually become the primary trade gateway between New York and China.
- The Palouse Pivot: How a Wheat Crash Forced Innovation
Facing a collapse in grain prices and a disastrously wet spring, farmers in Rosalia are abandoning monoculture for butter, eggs, and poultry to survive.
- The Apple Orchard Dreams of Early Seattle
Before the city became a tech hub, civic boosters saw the future of Seattle in the 'stately forests' replaced by row after row of fruit trees.
- The High Stakes of Tobacco Farming in Snohomish County
A rural columnist weighs in on the local obsession with hop-growing and the high-risk, high-reward prospect of cultivating tobacco in the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest.
- The Economic Anxiety of the 1888 Seattle Labor Market
A century and a half ago, Seattle’s labor leaders were already wrestling with the volatile intersection of rapid immigration, wage standards, and protectionist sentiment.
- The Runaway's Plea for Mercy
A teenage girl escapes her abusive uncle and aunt in Port Angeles, only to be detained by Port Townsend police while trying to return to the only home she ever knew.
- The Balloon Dreams of 1889
While aeronauts of the late 19th century insisted that aerial travel was the future, Seattle residents remained skeptical of the 'helpless' hot air ships.
- The Employer's Trap: Spokane Laborers Mock Plan to Union-Bust
As local merchants and manufacturers plot a new association to counter union power, Spokane’s labor leaders see through the scheme, citing stable wages and predicting failure.
- The First Engine: How One Machinist Built Seattle’s Heart
In April 1877, a local machinist named Mr. Bullene constructed the first engine ever built in Seattle for Stetson & Post’s new lumber mill, marking a pivotal moment in the city's industrial infancy.