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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 3 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 34 |
| 1877 | 29 |
| 1878 | 13 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 9 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 8 |
| 1885 | 12 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 7 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 26 |
| 1892 | 41 |
| 1893 | 43 |
| 1894 | 39 |
| 1895 | 50 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 11 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 9 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 5 |
| 1909 | 17 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 6 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 4 |
| 1925 | 2 |
| 1928 | 1 |
512 stories matching observ
- The Lonely Vigil of the Weather Man
Before satellite arrays and supercomputers, the Seattle Weather Bureau relied on the tireless, midnight labor of trained observers and a secret telegraphic cipher to predict the Pacific Northwest's volatile storms.
- The Weatherman’s Excuse: 'We Have No Stations on the Ocean'
Seattle's official meteorologist defends his inaccurate forecasts by blaming the lack of coastal observation posts and the unpredictable nature of Pacific storms.
- A Steamship Runs Aground at West Point
The collier Mackinaw, heavily loaded with coal, became stranded on the sandbar near the lighthouse, providing a tense morning for the crew and local observers.
- Heatwave Keeps Walla Walla Sweltering
After the weather observer's forecast for a cooling storm fails, frustrated locals turn to unconventional cooling methods.
- The Battle for the Sunday Morning Calm
When Seattle’s businesses first debated the secular 'day of rest,' local editors questioned if the city’s newspapers should be forced to observe the Sabbath.
- Double Standards in New Tacoma and Tacoma City
A call for equal law enforcement as 'ancient' Tacoma City ignores the Sunday saloon closures observed in New Tacoma.
- The Failed Heist on Second Street
A daring nighttime break-in at a Seattle hardware store is thwarted by an observant watchman.
- The Narrow Escape of the 'Seattle Belle'
A train robbery plot is thwarted by an observant spotter, saving the railway from a daring heist on the edge of the Washington frontier.
- The Midnight Shot at the Eldorado
A quiet night in a Seattle saloon turns into a tense legal spectacle after a musician goes on a shooting spree during a restless sleep.
- The Great Chicken Scandal of 1877
A wave of missing poultry in early Seattle highlights the city's growing anxiety over poverty, xenophobia, and the 'vagabond' population of the waterfront.
- A City Pauses to Remember: Seattle's 1889 Memorial Day
Mayor Robert Moran calls on the frontier city to close its doors and honor the fallen as the Grand Army of the Republic marks the 21st anniversary of Decoration Day.
- The Orchardist Who Told the State Its Moth Spraying Was Useless
In 1898, a North Yakima grower argued that the state's codlin-moth spray schedule did not fit the Yakima Valley's climate—and warned that apple and pear growing might be doomed without better field science.
- The Hop Growers' Dilemma
Yakima's hop farmers are facing market manipulation as they rush to sell their harvest, but local observers argue the price should be much higher.
- The Great King County Land Scandal
An anonymous critique exposes rampant corruption and reckless assessment in the early days of King County’s real estate boom.
- Seattle’s Jewish Community Celebrates Rosh Hashanah
Local Hebrews observe the New Year with a service at the new synagogue at Eighth and Seneca streets.
- Tornados and Vanishing Towns: The Floods of 1894
A voluntary weather observer describes an unprecedented summer of destruction in Okanogan County, where tornados flattened 'shacks' and the Columbia River rose to record heights.
- The Tax Revolt of 1923
Legislators in Olympia face a political firestorm as they struggle to cut state spending while voters demand 'hands off' the schools and roads.
- A Sermon on Civic Corruption
Rev. Wallace Nutting takes the Seattle municipal government to task for its failure to control vice and its admission of helplessness.
- The grueling, mountain-carving work of mapping the Puget Sound
A survey crew spends the summer hacking paths through the dense, uncharted forests of the Olympic Peninsula and Straits of Fuca to measure the rugged frontier.
- A Wild Bear Fight on the Grand Ronde
A local hunter witnesses a brutal showdown between a cinnamon and a black bear in the Asotin County mountains.
- A Sewer Scheme Built on Incompetence
Citizens and taxpayers are calling out the city's reckless mismanagement of sewer construction projects downtown.
- The Crisis in Seattle’s Classrooms
A scathing critique of 1892, where local observers argued that the public school system was a 'machine' failing the working-class children who needed practical skills over academic pretense.
- An Electrifying Encounter at the Drug Store
A Seattlite's bonnet catches fire, leading to a rather unconventional rescue by an observant clerk.
- Kennewick Prepares for Strawberry Day
After local supply issues caused price spikes last year, the Commercial Club sets a new date to ensure the Northwest stays well-stocked.
- The Rain That Saved the Harvest
A week of torrid heat and nervous anticipation ends as drenching rains sweep across the Inland Empire, securing the wheat crop.