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| Year | Stories |
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| 1885 | 4 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 13 |
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47 stories matching mandamus
- The Supreme Court Rules on the 'Old Yakima Mandamus' Case
A long-standing legal battle over the railroad’s power to make or unmake towns concludes with a narrow Supreme Court decision.
- Civic Clubs Threaten Mandamus to Reform Charter
Local reformers arm themselves with 1,600 petition signatures to force the City Council to call for a charter revision election.
- The Colonel, The Schoolmaster, and the Writ of Mandamus
When a Seattle teacher enforced a strict attendance policy, a local parent sued to force the school to readmit his son. The Chief Justice’s ruling settled a tug-of-war over authority that echoes in modern classrooms.
- The Supreme Court Stops a Judge From Sending Yakima County the Stenographer’s Bill
A superior court judge tried to force the county treasury to pay for trial transcripts. The state Supreme Court said no—and used a rare writ to stop the warrants before they became county debt.
- Voters Denied a Voice in the Woods
A legal battle erupts as King County residents claim they are being disenfranchised by a failure to establish local election precincts.
- City Council vs. The Mayor
A public power struggle in Farmington ends in a legal defeat for the town council over street expansion plans.
- The Court Could Make Commissioners Act—But Not Tell Them How
A mandamus bid to split Martin's Creek precinct fails, with Judge Lichtenberg ruling the board already acted within the law.
- A Seattle Election Was Decided by Charter Procedure—and the Supreme Court Let It Stand
The state Supreme Court upheld amendments that cut Seattle’s house of delegates to one member per ward, dooming V. P. Wiesemnal’s bid to take a seat under the old rules.
- The Town That Was Moved by Rail
When the Northern Pacific Railroad bypassed established Yakima City in favor of its own private land, it didn't just build a station—it forced an entire town to pack up and move.
- The Courthouse War
A fierce battle between a judge and county officials leads to a standoff, a jail sentence, and a wild threat to tear down the jailhouse to free the prisoner.
- A Mayor Suspends His Fire Commissioner—and a Firehouse Scandal Erupts
Mayor Phelps removed Commissioner George T. Masel amid a fight over Chief Allen and a teenage girl's allegation against a fireman at department headquarters.
- The Suffragist Who Told Olympia She Was Already a Voter
Bessie J. Savage tried to register in Olympia in 1895, arguing the state constitution had made her a legal voter. When the city clerk refused, she took him to court.
- State Court Rules Against Land Grabs in Ballard
The Washington Supreme Court finds that the Land Commissioner acted unlawfully when canceling private leases to clear way for the Lake Washington canal.
- The Late-Night Fight That Killed Washington's First University Building
A governor's-office showdown between the state auditor and the university building commission halted construction, left laborers unpaid, and pushed Olympia toward a special legislative session.
- The Mayor's Right to Fight City Hall
A landmark Washington Supreme Court ruling affirmed a mayor's authority to hire private counsel when the city's own legal department refused to defend the city against an illegal bond ordinance.
- The Fight for the Immigrant Ballot
A Seattle contractor sues the City Clerk to challenge a restrictive 1893 registration law that threatened to disenfranchise foreign-born voters.
- Debs Tells Spokane the Strike Is Dead — Organize at the Ballot Box
Eight months after the Pullman boycott was broken by injunctions and federal troops, the Railway Union's president arrives in Washington to say the walkout can never beat the government, and that labor's only road left is politics and public ownership of the railroads.
- The Bitter Battle for the Yakima Depot
A railroad official defends the controversial move of the townsite to North Yakima, dismissing long-standing charges of corruption and 'outrage'.
- University Regents Sue State Over Missing Endowment
A legal fight breaks out over 200,000 acres intended to fund the University of Washington's future.
- The University Student Who Refused the Drill
A Seattle college student takes the faculty to court, arguing that mandatory military training interferes with his ability to work and pay his way through school.
- The University Mutiny: A Student Protest Over Compulsory Drill
When the University of Washington faculty mandated weekly military training for all students, a group of undergraduates went on strike, claiming the time—and their dignity—was their own.
- The University Revolt of 1892
A campus protest against mandatory military drills ends in a courtroom, where students face suspension and a professor takes to the chalkboard to mock them in verse.
- The Bizarre Legal Battle for the Benton County Courthouse
A sprawling court fight over the construction contract has pulled in an army of attorneys, stalling the project and complicating the county's civic future.
- Old Drainage Debt Forces Public Hearing
A legacy of unpaid warrants from the Haxton Drainage district leads to a court-ordered assessment on local landowners.
- Ten Cents a Month to Save Seattle's Library
With the library closed for lack of funds, the commission and City Council try a subscription fee—and a last-minute deal to reopen.
Also about this, in other words
- Snohomish County's Class Struggle
A legal battle over county classification and official salaries heats up in Everett, threatening to topple the local board of commissioners.
- The Saloon at the Race Track
A legal battle over liquor licenses in the Duwamish precinct reveals the limits of civic power when faced with the relentless machinery of the law.
- Mange Outbreak Hits Spanaway
A dangerous animal disease threatens the local economy, as officials scramble to isolate horses and dogs to prevent further contagion.
- The Capitol That Couldn't Be Built
After two failed attempts at financing, the state's third try at bonding the capitol building heads to the Supreme Court.