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1. The Newspaper Editor and the Political Bruiser

   A brutal street assault in Olympia reveals the volatile intersection of frontier politics and an independent press.

   Jun 20, 1872Puget Sound DispatchOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

2. The Political Brawl at the Territorial University

   A scathing editorial from 1872 exposes a 'Klux clan' of government officials caught in a web of corruption, bribes, and public dishonesty.

   Jun 27, 1872Puget Sound DispatchOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Scandal

3. Olympia’s Booster Year: Brick, Bridges and a 50,000-Person Promise

   As 1891 closed, the capital city counted $3 million in new buildings, a record bridge, electric lights and new rail lines — and predicted 50,000 residents within a decade.

   Dec 31, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust · City Hall

4. The Great Seattle Land Office Fire

   A devastating blaze sweeps through downtown, destroying irreplaceable public records and a local church.

   Sep 13, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerMain Street, Seattle, King CountyDisasters

5. Fire Ravages Olympia’s Government Buildings

   The Surveyor General’s office, the Land Office, and a historic church are destroyed in a devastating overnight blaze.

   Sep 14, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerMain Street, Olympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Disasters

6. A Missing Lawyer, a $350 Deed, and the North Olympia Land Scheme

   With Attorney D. P. Ballard absent, Olympia lawyers are tracing suspicious transfers in a platted addition—land already sold to dozens of owners, now used as security for a $4,000 mortgage.

   Oct 24, 1891The Olympia TribuneNorth Olympia, Olympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

7. The $70,000 Rebellion: Olympia Refuses to Pay Its Railroad Bill

   Northern Pacific missed its promised deadlines, so the citizens who pledged land and cash to bring the line to town decided the contract was void—and headed to court.

   Dec 15, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

8. The Tunnel Under Seventh Street: Two Property Owners Take On the Railroad

   Captain Hatch seeks $10,000 and J. A. Silsby $5,000, blaming the Northern Pacific's new tunnel for damage to their buildings — while the railroad insists the city, not the company, should pay.

   Dec 23, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust · City Hall

9. The First Ward Has Not Yet Voted: A Rowdy King County Convention Picks Its Ticket

   In 1894, King County Republicans packed Seattle’s Armory, fought over a contested First Ward delegation, hissed down rivals, and nominated a full county ticket in one raucous night.

   Sep 5, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Armory, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

10. A Sunday Earthquake Rattles Olympia, Stopping Clocks and Startling Diners

    At 3:15 p.m. on Nov. 29, 1891, a sharp tremor shook the city, rattled windows, swayed chandeliers, and sent one hotel guest diving for the stairs.

    Nov 30, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyStrange But True

11. The sheriff seizes Olympia's streetcars, mid-block, over a bond

    A lawyer's objection leaves a Main Street horse car standing stock still at Sixth for hours while the company's backers scramble for a new bond.

    Nov 14, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

12. The Women of Olympia Furnish a Home Away from Home for Old Soldiers

    The Geo. H. Thomas Woman’s Relief Corps outfits a cozy room at the Soldiers’ Home in Orting, down to a rug made from sixteen raccoon skins.

    Dec 18, 1891The Olympia TribuneWashington Soldiers’ Home, OrtingStrange But True

13. A Brick Barn or a University? Olympia Presses Seattle on Its Grand Campus

    A newspaper duel over the University of Washington's costly new buildings asks who pays for civic grandeur—and whether Seattle's generosity comes with unpaid debts.

    Oct 21, 1891The Olympia TribuneUniversity of Washington, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

14. The Logging Revolution on Skookum Chuck

    Innovation in Snohomish: How timber barons traded oxen for steam-era ingenuity to keep the mills running.

    Mar 29, 1879The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

15. The Crumbling Capitol Gets a Patch-Up

    As legislators prepare for the 1893 session, the barn-like structure in Olympia receives a new roof and a desperately needed expansion.

    Jan 6, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

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