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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 3 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 55 |
| 1877 | 24 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 2 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 33 |
| 1884 | 9 |
| 1885 | 17 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 12 |
| 1888 | 10 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 5 |
| 1891 | 33 |
| 1892 | 63 |
| 1893 | 40 |
| 1894 | 67 |
| 1895 | 72 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1898 | 6 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 16 |
| 1904 | 17 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 8 |
| 1909 | 18 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 3 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 5 |
| 1915 | 3 |
| 1916 | 8 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1928 | 2 |
627 stories matching occasion
- The Day Washington Was Born: A City Holds Its Breath
As the nation celebrates statehood, Seattle gathers in a packed hall to hear speeches on liberty, land fraud, and the future of the 'Queen City.'
- The Pastor, the Circular, and the Hung Jury
For three days a Seattle courtroom heard accusations of adultery, an illegitimate son, and a pastor’s libelous circular. At 12:35 a.m., the jury was still deadlocked.
- A Christmas on the Ice King: The Climb That Saw Rainier Smoking
In 1894, Major Ingraham led six men, seven homing pigeons, and a camera onto Mount Rainier’s glaciers. They came back with frostbite, a story of steam and smoke rising from the crater—and one pigeon missing.
- The Company Blamed the Dead Miner
After thirty-five men died in the Franklin mine, the Oregon Improvement Company answered a widow's lawsuit by saying her husband assumed the risk—and should have run sooner.
- Fifteen Minutes to Confess: The Morphine Trial of Port Townsend's Captain De Lion
A former mayor, Chilean consul and dry-dock promoter worth half a million dollars sits in superior court while his emaciated wife describes a year of morphine, delusion and a pocket watch set on the table between them.
- A Widow's Accusation and a Rancher's Denial
August Polinski, 68, is charged with assaulting his housekeeper near Camden; he calls the case a shakedown, and the hearing is postponed to Feb. 15.
- The Ball That Shook Seattle: A Night of Masks, Money, and 'Transposed Sexes'
In the damp cold of February 1877, Seattle’s elite gathered for a masquerade ball that defied social norms, featuring cross-dressing performers and a prize for the 'best sustained character'—a rare glimpse into the territory's vibrant, chaotic social life.
- 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.
- The Night Seattle Danced Until Two: A Steamer Excursion from Steilacoom
In July 1859, the steamer Julia carried Olympia and Steilacoom society across the Sound to Seattle, where three supper tables and a hall full of dancers made territorial news.
- A Potlatch at Neah Bay: Blankets, Money, and a Makah Celebration
A newspaper correspondent visits a Makah potlatch and finds hundreds gathered, a wealthy widow, and gifts of cash and blankets distributed to friends and relations.
- The Rebirth of a Burned City
Following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city pivots from disaster to rapid reconstruction, grappling with housing, labor, and the challenge of rebuilding a metropolis from ashes.
- A Revolver at Her Ear: Mary Steel's Third Fight for a Divorce
Mary Steel's third divorce suit against David H. Steel laid bare a bitter fight over $49,000 in Seattle and Montana property—and allegations of violence, control and intimidation.
- The Centennial That Saved Seattle: How 8,000 Souls Turned a Territorial Mist into a City
On July 4, 1876, despite being late to statehood and lacking federal funding, Seattle’s pioneers pulled off a spectacle of flags, steamers, and speeches that proved the town was here to stay.
- ‘Incipient Treason’: Judge Hanford Sentences the Spokane Strikers
Seven men are jailed for contempt after a mob derails trains and seizes a roundhouse during the 1894 railroad strike. The federal judge calls it insurrection.
- The First Wedding in Seattle, Celebrated Forty-Two Years Later
David and Louisa Denny gather four generations of pioneers at their Temperance Street home, where relics of the 1850s—and the certificate from Seattle’s first marriage—turn an anniversary into a founding story.
- The Great McFadden Ovation: A City Stops for Its Hero
In October 1872, Olympia erupted in celebration as thousands of citizens, horses, and brass bands escorted Territorial Delegate Owen McFadden home from his successful eastern tour, contrasting sharply with the cold reception given to his rival.
- The Great Welcome: Seattle Plans a 'Rousing' Ovation for Returning War Heroes
Mayor Humes and city officials rally behind a public subscription to fund fireworks, banquets, and even a mock battle at Lake Washington to greet the Washington Volunteers returning from Manila.
- The Great Congressional Shutdown of 1876
A historic clash between the House and Senate left federal workers across the country—and the crew of a local Revenue Cutter—stranded without pay.
- Seattle's $100,000 Night: The Armory Meeting That Sold the Ship Canal
Boosters packed the Armory in 1895 and pledged a fortune for locks and bridges on a Lake Washington canal—payable only after a ship made the passage from Elliott Bay.
- A Wife's Testimony Was Enough: Supreme Court Reverses Divorce Denial
The Washington Supreme Court ruled that a wife's own account of cruelty and habitual drunkenness could justify a divorce, reversing a lower court that had dismissed Nellie Lee's case.
- The Spectacle of the Potlatch
An observer documents the elaborate cultural traditions of an Indigenous gathering in the Washington Territory.
- The Great Rain-Soaked Barbecue of 1889
A much-hyped political feast in Seattle ends in a pathetic drizzle, empty plates, and heated accusations of corruption between the Republican and Democratic parties.
- The Black Odd Fellows Who Built Their Own Order—and Filled a Seattle Hall
Barred from the white Odd Fellows, Seattle’s Mount Rainier Lodge No. 88 celebrated the Grand United Order’s 54th anniversary with speeches, uniforms and a crowd of about 400.
- Celebrating the Lunar New Year in 1863
Olympia's Chinese residents celebrated the New Year with traditional firecrackers and tea, an occasion marked by a local editor with a mix of curiosity and cultural commentary.
- ‘Rule or Ruin’: A Territorial Lawmaker Turns on Governor Stevens
Confined to his room with a cold, a member of the Washington Territorial Legislature answers his critics — defending his right to name the governor's unpopular appointees and accusing a ruling clique of trying to shut the rest of the territory up.
Also about this, in other words
- The Hard Times Ball
Seattle's elite staged an 'economical' dance party to navigate the financial strain of 1893.
- The 'Stag' Party Mystery of 1885
While Seattle’s society columns were filled with typical party announcements, a curiously exclusive gathering at the residence of Mrs. John Lately sparked local whispers.
- An unfortunate encounter with a detective
A citizen is fined for confronting an undercover officer after a heated exchange near the circus grounds.
- An Invitation to a Celestial Feast
An 1877 dispatch offers a rare, albeit patronizing, glimpse into the intricate social etiquette and lavish dining culture of Seattle’s Chinese mercantile class.
- A Sudden Marriage and a Neighbors' Surprise
After reaching an age thought immune to romance, a local bachelor weds a woman he had never met until days before.
- A Noisy Surprise for the Newlyweds
Local residents revive the old-fashioned 'charivari' tradition to celebrate a neighbor’s recent marriage with a cacophonous midnight parade.
- A Near-Miss at the Wedding of the Year
During a massive public wedding at the Fruit Fair, a mix-up nearly led the justice to marry the wrong person.
- A Wedding Night Turned to Blood
A celebratory shotgun 'charivari' in Ping Gulch went terribly wrong when pranksters left live ammunition in their guns, leaving the bride with multiple bullet wounds.