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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1904 | 4 |
| 1909 | 2 |
30 stories matching onlook
- The Great Sewer Brawl of Washington Street
A minor street scuffle turned into an unintended construction project when a crowd of onlookers broke through the sidewalk into the city sewer.
- The Jailbreak at the County Courthouse
A prisoner awaiting trial vanishes from the Pierce County jail while under the watch of guards, witnessed by curious onlookers from the courthouse windows.
- The Spotlight on the Sandberg District
Hundreds of curious onlookers descend on Tacoma’s red-light district following a critical council report.
- A Desperate Escape in a Seattle Alley
A horse plunges into a dangerously narrow gap between buildings on Second Street, leaving the animal trapped and onlookers scrambling.
- The Morbid Crowds at the Morgue
A double murder-suicide sparks a frenzy of gawking in Seattle.
- A High-Stakes Adventure on the River
A young woman's terrifying ordeal while navigating the dangerous waters of the Snohomish River.
- The Army of Two Flags
Facing suspicion as an 'English institution,' the local Salvation Army embraced American patriotism to win the city's trust.
- A Hallelujah Wedding on Jackson Street
Salvation Army officers wed in a packed Seattle barracks, blending religious fervor with a public spectacle that drew onlookers from all social strata.
- The Great Coal Heist
A pile of coal earmarked for the city's poor is brazenly hauled away in broad daylight by thieves under the noses of onlookers.
- The Jailer Lost the Key
A murder trial in Kitsap County is stalled after a clumsy jailer heads downtown with the only key to the prisoner's cell.
- The Human Zoo at the St. Louis World’s Fair
Eighty Moros from Mindanao arrived in Tacoma via the steamship Tremont, bound for an exhibit at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
- The Seattle Iron Works Tragedy
A devastating structural collapse and fire at a downtown factory leaves dozens of workers dead or critically injured in a haunting industrial disaster.
- Elderly laborer attempts suicide in Old Town
An aged man struggling with chronic illness was restrained by bystanders after a desperate attempt to end his life in Tacoma's Old Town district.
- The Desperate Flight from a Domestic Abductor
A mother fighting for custody of her child leaps from a steamer to escape her husband’s attempt to forcibly abduct their daughter.
- Vigilante Justice in Ellensburg
A mob of 'whitecaps' forced an officer to surrender his prisoner, a Chinese man accused of harassment, for a public whipping.
- The Rainy Retreat from Alki Point
A summer of relentless Seattle showers turns the city's camping enthusiasts into a 'bedraggled and disheartened' crowd.
- The First Ward's Shadow Government
A group of unsuccessful job-seekers and disgruntled agitators formed an unofficial 'shadow council' to mock local civic power in 1884 Seattle.
- An Ethereal Display Over the Pacific Northwest
A witness reports a strange, luminous phenomenon over the Washington plains that left onlookers spellbound.
- Driven Out of Tacoma, a Chinese Man Lands in Seattle's Jail
Armed and defiant after being expelled from Tacoma, a Chinese man spent a night in a Seattle cell — carrying a printed card warning that any Chinese person with a concealed weapon would be arrested.
- The Vampire Panic of Seattle
A grim, gothic account of a 'vampire' outbreak in a local immigrant community, documenting the desperate, violent lengths to which villagers went to protect their own.
- Labor Unions March Through Tacoma
Striking displays of organization and craft pride defined the industrial parade as unions from Tacoma and Seattle joined forces.
- The Narrow Escape in Whitechapel
After a laborer was robbed and tossed into the frigid tide flats of Seattle's waterfront, an unlikely group of rescuers saved him from a watery grave.
- The Wild Carriage Ride Down Commercial Street
A frightened team of horses turned a routine ride into a violent, smashing spectacle, leaving passengers bloody and onlookers breathless.
- The Trains Came Back—And Seattle's Mail Came With Them
With the Pullman boycott collapsing, Northern Pacific and Lake Shore trains returned to schedule in Seattle, non-union crews took the throttle, and three days of stranded mail finally reached the post office.
- The Steamboat That Dared the Rapids
Captain James W. Troup pilots the steamer *Hasalo* through the treacherous Cascades of the Columbia River in a feat of navigation that thrilled onlookers and defied death.