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1. The Name That Never Was: How Washington Stole Its Identity

   A furious editorial in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer defends the state's name against a congressional proposal to rename it 'Tacoma,' arguing that the people’s attachment to their home is sacred.

   Jan 18, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

2. The Unwieldy Name of a Ballard Merchant

   A local businessman petitions the court to shed his Norwegian patronymic in favor of a simpler moniker.

   Sep 20, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBallard, Seattle, King County

3. The Stolen Name of the Mountain

   A rare 1883 editorial lamenting the erasure of Indigenous names and the commodification of the landscape.

   Mar 22, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

4. Pike Street Runs Into a Lake: The Man Hired to Untangle Seattle's Eight-Named Streets

   In 1895 the city handed City Engineer Thomson the worst street-naming mess on the Pacific Coast — five Cedar streets, three Adams, four Elliotts — and one road with eight different names. Then the ladies of Queen Anne Hill went to war over who got to be Highland Avenue.

   Mar 8, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · City Hall

5. The Battle Over Naming Baby Brown

   A classic matrimonial spat from 1882 reveals the absurd lengths a Victorian couple went to avoid the common name 'Henry' for their newborn son.

   May 13, 1882Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

6. How Our Towns Got Their Names

   A historian chronicles the origins of Grays Harbor cities, uncovering the rivalries and local legends behind our map.

   Oct 19, 1923White Bluffs SpokesmanMontesano, Grays Harbor CountyBoom & Bust

7. The Great Debate Over Naming Washington

   When the territory was preparing for statehood in 1888, a local newspaper polled residents on whether to keep the name 'Washington'—and many feared confusion with the nation's capital.

   May 13, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

8. The Mate Who Died Without a Name

   A steamer mate is thrown overboard at Utsalady and lost. When reporters ask around the waterfront, everyone knew him—but no one could recall his name.

   Jun 29, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerUtsalady, Island CountyWork & Pay · True Crime

9. One Street, Eight Names: The Tide-Land Map That Broke Seattle's Addresses

   When the tide-land appraisers published their new plat, they named the filled waterfront after the states and the big cities — ignoring every street already on the ground. City Engineer Thomson's renaming scheme collapsed on the spot.

   Apr 12, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

10. The Lake That Wasn't: A Territorial Identity Crisis

    In January 1890, a prominent New York journalist claimed Washington Territory wanted to be called 'Tacoma.' The Seattle Post-Intelligencer fired back with a scathing editorial, proving that the name 'Washington' was not just a political compromise, but a point of fierce local pride.

    Jan 13, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

11. The Town That Shed Its Violent Name

    Citizens of Slaughter petition the legislature to rebrand their town to something more inviting.

    Feb 17, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerAuburn, King CountyBoom & Bust

12. She Preferred the Name 'Goodlow' — So She Took It, and Now the Insurance Company Won't Pay

    A Spokane woman who never married took out two life insurance policies, each under a different name. Now that she is dead, the company is refusing to honor either one.

    Jul 31, 1903The Evening StatesmanSpokane, Spokane CountyScandal

13. The Great Mountain Name War

    Tensions boil over as Tacoma citizens petition to rename the newly designated Mount Rainier reservation to Mount Tacoma, reigniting a 100-year-old geographic debate.

    Feb 3, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

14. The Government Bans 'Holy Moses' Mining Claims

    A federal ruling in Washington state aims to put a stop to 'tenderfoot' miners who give their claims offensive and profane names like 'Jumping Jesus.'

    Sep 13, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWaterville, Douglas CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

15. The Name Stays: Rainier Ruled Permanent

    Federal authorities rebuff fourth attempt to rename Washington’s highest peak to Mount Tacoma.

    Nov 28, 1924White Bluffs SpokesmanMount Rainier, Rainier, King CountyBoom & Bust

16. The Mountain Tacoma Tried to Take

    A railroad president's marketing decree put 'Tacoma' on maps of the great peak across the East — while Seattle refused to surrender the name of a British admiral who never saw it.

    Dec 5, 1891The Olympia TribuneTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

17. The Struggle to Find Your Way in Early Seattle

    Before the city had a standardized grid, navigating its muddy, stump-filled streets was a chaotic task—until one resident proposed a system that still echoes today.

    May 19, 1882Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

18. A Case of Misspelling

    Dr. Royal A. Gove files suit against the Sunset Telephone Company for losing him business after they misspelled his name in the directory.

    Sep 7, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

19. The Strict Rules of Territorial Ballot Boxes

    Before the secret ballot was standardized, Washington Territory enacted stern penalties to prevent election-day fraud, coercion, and liquor-fueled chaos.

    Nov 2, 1880The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

20. The Treasurer's Bond Begins to Crumble

    Two surety names vanish from John W. Maple's $400,000 bond, and more may follow as King County waits for its prosecutor.

    Feb 6, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

21. The Fight for Indigenous Names on Territorial Maps

    A territorial legislator argues that replacing English place names with Indigenous ones will stop mail from being misdirected and honor the region's history.

    Mar 18, 1854Pioneer and DemocratOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

22. Why the Cascade Mountains Have a 'Stampede'

    A swarm of mosquitoes once sent railroad engineers fleeing in a panic that gave a famous mountain pass its permanent name.

    Sep 26, 1889The Yakima HeraldEaston, Kittitas CountyStrange But True

23. The Union Seeks a Seat at the Table

    Tacoma’s Carpenters' Union works with the incoming mayor to secure a voice in the city's building inspection process.

    Apr 15, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyWork & Pay

24. The Bitter Struggle for a Unified Name

    Citizens of Whatcom and Fairhaven face a fourth attempt at consolidation, long stalled by a stubborn disagreement over the new city's identity.

    Sep 15, 1903The Evening StatesmanBellingham, Whatcom CountyCity Hall

25. The Forgotten History Behind Kitsap County

    A look at the origins of regional place names, from the renaming of a county to the memory of local chiefs.

    Nov 9, 1923White Bluffs SpokesmanPort Orchard, Kitsap CountyExclusion & Resistance

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