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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
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| 1891 | 3 |
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26 stories matching nay
- The Legislature Votes Itself a Territorial Rifle
In a moment of classic political opportunism, the Council passes a measure granting every member a firearm at public expense.
- Olympia Named Temporary Seat of Government
The Council debates and finalizes the definition of judicial districts, securing Olympia's status as the provisional capital.
- The Great Washington Delay: How Congress Stalled Statehood for a Political Game
In January 1889, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an 'Omnibus Bill' to admit four territories as states, but fierce partisan fighting over Dakota and Montana left Washington Territory in limbo—delaying its entry into the Union by nearly two years.
- The Steamboat Scheme to Sneak 10,000 Sheep into Washington
Barred from driving his Oregon flocks through Klickitat County, M. McLennan charters a special steamer to slip them into Skamania County and on to Yakima.
- The City That Built Itself: Seattle’s 1876 Bet on Railroads and Real Estate
While Portland urges unity to secure a transcontinental line, Seattle’s council quietly reshapes the city’s physical landscape—lowering street grades and paving sidewalks—betting that infrastructure will drive the boom.
- The Heated Debate Over 'Shaving' Greenbacks
Washington Territorial legislators clashed over a bill aimed at criminalizing the devaluation of federal currency, pitting economic protectionism against constitutional theory.
- The Territory's Loyalty Crisis
A bitter partisan divide breaks out in the Legislative Assembly over a set of resolutions affirming support for the Union and the Lincoln administration.
- The Phantom Bribe: A Legislative Ghost Hunt in Olympia
A state representative demands an investigation into a 'phantom' briber, while the legislature becomes deadlocked by scandal and partisan maneuvering.
- The Great Cow Standoff: When Seattle’s Streets Were Held Hostage by Livestock
In September 1878, a herd of cattle and horses blocked the wharf district, forcing pedestrians to halt in their tracks. The city council was forced to intervene as commerce ground to a standstill.
- The Birth of Washington Territory
Arthur Denny recounts the 1852 Monticello Convention that successfully petitioned Congress to split the Washington territory from Oregon.
- The Great Railway Freight Revolt
In a 1891 legislative showdown, Washington lawmakers slashed freight rates by 25 percent to combat railroad monopolies, sparking a fierce debate over state versus corporate control.
- The Preacher Who Turned Court Into a Prayer Meeting
A local street preacher, arrested for his public fervor, turns the tables on the magistrate by forcing a courtroom to its knees.
- Washington Legislature Rejects Women's Suffrage
A bill to submit the question of equal suffrage to the voters of the state fails to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the House.
- The Sunday Saloon Wars: How Seattle Debated the 'Law and Order' Ordinance
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council erupted into a fierce debate over a proposal to force saloons to close on Sundays, pitting reformers against tavern owners in a struggle over civic control and personal liberty.
- The Judge Escapes the Legislature—For Now
Damning reports on Judge W. W. Langhorne reach the House, but lawmakers postpone impeachment and hand the case to the Supreme Court.
- Seattle Aldermen Kill Scurry's Confirmation in a Jiffy
A raucous 1895 council session turns into a fight over public works, unemployment relief, and a telephone monopoly.
- The State vs. the 'Gigantic Octopus': Washington Votes to Print Its Own Schoolbooks
Olympia's senate passes a bill making Washington a textbook publisher, selling spellers and readers to children at cost to break the American Book Company's grip — 27 to 4.
- The Fish That Confessed: A Sturgeon’s Warning to a Sweeping Reporter
In this bizarre piece of 1876 satire, a newspaperman encounters a talking sturgeon at the market who reveals he is a reincarnated swindler, warning the reporter that frauds become fish after death.
- The Great Tacoma License Revolt: Mayor vs. The People Over Harry Morgan’s Saloon
In a dramatic showdown at City Hall, the Tacoma Common Council voted to revoke the liquor and theater license of Harry Morgan, sparking petitions from both sides and accusations of bribery involving the *Tacoma Daily Bulletin*. But did the city really win?
- The Canal Fight That Would Reshape Seattle
Senator Allen's enemies are attacking him over his support for the Lake Washington ship canal — but the 1889 legislative memorial shows one of his loudest critics once voted for it.
- Olympia’s Capitol Fight: Donate the Land or Lose the Statehouse
A late-night Senate debate over the new state capitol turned on eleven acres, a $150,000 land scheme and whether Olympia should pay to keep the building—before the bill passed to applause.
- The Mayor Fires a Police Commissioner to Save His Chief
Seattle's mayor removes John G. Niggle from the police board, accusing him of protecting prostitution and conspiring to oust Chief Rogers — then demands that two more commissioners resign on the spot.
- The Judge Who Refused to Step Aside
In Thurston County court, Judge Robinson denies a change of venue in the Minkler case, rejecting claims that county prejudice or a newspaper feud had compromised him.
- The Railroads Beat the Farmers in Olympia
A bill to cut freight and passenger rates across Washington goes down in the state Senate after a bruising fight, handing the railroads their biggest Northwest victory yet.
- The People’s Ticket: Olympia’s 1891 Caucus Revolt
A printed slate handed out at the door, a mayor booed as 'defeated,' and a second-ward protest meeting: the fight over who would control Olympia's city nominations.