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355 stories matching oblig

  1. A Councilman's Attempt at Control

    A local Everett union official tries to insert 'obey' into the oath of office for his colleagues.

    Mar 31, 1911The Labor JournalEverett, Snohomish CountyCity Hall

  2. The Mayor's Report Card

    The Post-Intelligencer critiques Mayor Ronald's annual message, specifically challenging his claims regarding police success and municipal debt.

    Feb 7, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

  3. The City That Couldn't Host Its Guests

    As steamers bring hundreds of travelers to Seattle, local hotels are full and a new building sits empty in legal limbo, leaving strangers sleeping on docks.

    May 7, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyHousing & Rent

  4. The City’s Endless Debt Cycle

    Tacoma’s casual approach to borrowing is mortgaging the future.

    May 5, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

  5. The landlord's dilemma when the building burns

    Legal experts debate whether tenants are entitled to a rent refund when their rented rooms are destroyed by fire mid-month.

    Aug 9, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyHousing & Rent

  6. City Laborers Find Relief at the Bank

    Mayor Phelps intervenes to stop the exploitation of city laborers by 'scrip buyers' who were charging fees to cash municipal pay checks.

    Jun 6, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay

  7. A Forced Marriage in the Courtroom

    A judge in Pierce County lectured a man on 'conjugal obligations' and forced him to marry the woman he was accused of seducing after a scandal involving his community’s traditional marriage practices.

    Feb 24, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyScandal

  8. The Geary Act and America's Broken Promises

    An 1892 editorial confronts the xenophobic legislative push to abrogate treaties with China, highlighting the hypocrisy of American foreign policy.

    Apr 14, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

  9. The Perils of the Seneca Street Crossing

    In 1877, Seattleites were forced to perform 'acrobatic feats' to traverse a dangerous gully, highlighting the city's struggle to keep pace with rapid infrastructure demands.

    Mar 15, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeneca Street, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

  10. The Governor Vetoes Debt Relief, and the Paper Cheers

    A bill meant to soften deficiency judgments after foreclosure is killed — on the theory that frightened capital would simply stop lending, hurting the very debtors it was meant to save.

    Mar 24, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

  11. The Desperate Night in the Seattle Depot

    A homeless couple is evicted from a rail station in the dead of night, only to be saved by the charity of local women.

    Aug 16, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyHousing & Rent

  12. The Seneca Street Sludge

    A persistent drainage issue on a downtown sidewalk sparks frustration among Seattle pedestrians, highlighting the lack of basic civic maintenance in the growing city.

    Feb 14, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeneca Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

  13. Lynden Goes Dry

    In a notable outlier for Whatcom County, Lynden voters decide to ban alcohol, prompting a pledge from the council to enforce the new temperance measures.

    Dec 10, 1908The Lynden Tribune (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-CurrentLynden, Whatcom CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

  14. The Political Pressure on Mr. Rutter

    A state legislator lashes out after the press accuses him of being a 'doubtful' vote in the contentious race for the U.S. Senate.

    Jan 20, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

  15. A $56 Check Sends a Housekeeper to Prison for Up to 14 Years

    Mrs. Maybelle Coitrell, desperate for work, forged a Spokane millionaire's name—and drew a sentence that outweighed the theft many times over.

    Mar 4, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentSpokane, Spokane CountyTrue Crime

  16. Collapse of the Steilacoom Distilling Plant

    A creditor seeks a receiver for a charcoal and creosote plant that failed to sustain operations after only four months.

    Apr 23, 1904The Tacoma TimesSteilacoom, Pierce County

  17. The Bear Wrestler Meets His Match

    A two-hundred-and-forty-pound man looking to challenge a bear in a local exhibition is unceremoniously knocked out by a woman in the dining room.

    Jun 7, 1889The Mason County JournalShelton, Mason CountyLocal Legends

  18. Tide Flat Rescue

    A local man is rescued after an alcohol-fueled fall into the Tacoma tide flats leaves him trapped in the muck.

    Sep 14, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

  19. The River That Cost Twice

    A landowner is forced to pay for the same property twice after the Columbia River shifts its channel and alters the state boundary.

    Sep 21, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSkamokawa, Wahkiakum CountyFollow the Money · Strange But True

  20. The Unspoken Code of the Union Card

    When a worker breaks his word to an employer, he does more than lose a job—he tarnishes the reputation of every laborer in the city.

    Apr 15, 1909The Labor JournalEverett, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

  21. The Marriage Mill: Is Olympia a Haven for Runaways?

    Legislative divorce bills in 1860 are turning Washington Territory into a 'by-word and reproach' as lawmakers bypass the courts to dissolve marriages for political favors.

    Dec 22, 1860Washington StandardOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Scandal

  22. A Successful Maiden Voyage for the St. Lawrence

    The new Ballard-built schooner returns with a heavy haul, proving the viability of the local fishing industry.

    Mar 30, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBallard, Seattle, King CountyWork & Pay

  23. The Streetcar Franchise Seattle Couldn't Enforce

    Alderman J. Eugene Jordan accused the Yesler Avenue Cable Car Company and its City Council allies of dodging a franchise requirement to double-track the line—while the city pleaded poverty and working men waited for jobs.

    Apr 11, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerYesler Way, Seattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Follow the Money · City Hall

  24. Star Clothing Co. Forced Out of Business

    A prominent Pacific Avenue retailer is closing its doors after being displaced by the sale of their building.

    Feb 3, 1904The Tacoma Times1342 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

  25. Who Cares for the Broken Legged?

    A public dispute arises over whether the city physician is obligated to treat emergency cases.

    Jun 10, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

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