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1. A Heartfelt Farewell to a Departing Official

   Employees of the county treasurer's office threw an unannounced celebration for their outgoing chief, Byron Phelps, who was recently elected mayor.

   Mar 18, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

2. The Great Hoquiam Bear Hunt

   A group of local hunters brings home a bear, but nobody can agree on who actually landed the shot.

   Jul 30, 1891Aberdeen HeraldHoquiam, Grays Harbor CountyStrange But True

3. The Last Survivor of the 1856 Siege

   Admiral Thomas Stowell Phelps, who helped defend a fragile Seattle from the woods near Yesler's Mill, recounts the terror and strategic maneuvers of the Battle of Seattle.

   Jun 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyExclusion & Resistance

4. The Mayor Fires His Police Commissioner in a Fight Over a Den

   A vice dispute between Seattle's police chief and one of his commissioners ends with Mayor Phelps wielding the axe.

   Sep 6, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

5. The Republican Machine Sweeps Seattle

   Byron Phelps wins the mayoral race in a landslide as the city undergoes a political shift.

   Mar 7, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

6. A New Guard at City Hall: Seattle's 1894 Transition

   Mayor Byron Phelps assumes office during a severe economic depression, pledging economy, non-partisan reform, and a professionalized city government.

   Mar 20, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCity Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

7. The Forgotten Tragedy at the Seattle Waterfront

   Decades before Seattle became a bustling metropolis, the wife of a Missouri governor suffered a fatal fall at the city's docks—a tragedy that haunted the local courts.

   Nov 26, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle Waterfront, Seattle, King CountyDisasters

8. Inheriting a Debt-Ridden City

   Mayor Phelps takes office in Seattle, facing a dire financial situation and crumbling infrastructure after years of 'misgovernment.'

   Mar 20, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCity Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

9. The Boomtown Spirit: Black Diamond Cheers a Presidential Ticket

   While the nation looked to Chicago for the 1888 Republican ticket, the coal-mining town of Black Diamond organized a rousing local celebration to back Harrison and Morton.

   Jun 26, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBlack Diamond, King CountyCity Hall

10. The Plumbing Inspector Controversy

    Mayor Phelps's appointment of a new inspector faces a public challenge from the local plumbers' union.

    Jun 30, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

11. The Laborer’s Question

    A candidate for mayor is put on the spot regarding political litmus tests for city jobs.

    Mar 3, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

12. The Mayor Fired Him; He Says the Charter Says Otherwise

    Ex-Police Commissioner E. C. Cheasty asks a judge to overturn Mayor Phelps’s removal, arguing City Hall ignored the charter and punished him for a political vote.

    Sep 11, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSuperior Court of Washington for King County, SeattleCity Hall

13. The Hatch Left Open: How a Passenger's Injury Put a Steamship Under Arrest

    Mary Phelps was permanently maimed when a crew removed a hatch aboard the City of Panama. When the vessel reached Port Townsend, U.S. Marshal Hopkins seized it—prompting citizens to raise a $100,000 bond.

    Jul 14, 1876Puget Sound Weekly ArgusPort Townsend harbor, Port TownsendDisasters

14. The Republican City Convention

    Byron Phelps nominated for Mayor in a swift and orderly convention held at the Armory.

    Feb 25, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Armory, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

15. Seattle Fire Commissioner Suspended Amidst Hose Scandal

    Mayor Phelps fires T. Masel, alleging incompetence and a fraudulent fire hose contract, sparking a chaotic power struggle at City Hall.

    Jun 6, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCity Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

16. The Fire Hose Scandal

    Mayor Phelps files official charges against Fire Commissioner George T. Masel, alleging incompetence and corruption regarding the purchase of defective fire equipment.

    Jun 11, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

17. The Mayor Takes an Unplanned Swim

    Mayor Byron Phelps learned the hard way that log-rolling is best left to professionals after a fishing trip to Maple Valley went awry.

    Jul 5, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCedar River, Maple Valley, King CountyStrange But True

18. The Mayor, the Commissioners and a City Hall Truce

    Seattle's police board waits for Mayor Phelps to make his next move after a judge sides with Commissioners Cheasty and Niggle.

    Sep 19, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

19. The Failed Cooperative Mill

    A shingle mill in Anacortes, once run as a cooperative, falls into chaos when workers strike over the firing of a colleague.

    Apr 20, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerAnacortes, Skagit CountyWork & Pay

20. The Mayor Fired Him; He Took City Hall to Court

    Police Commissioner John O. Niggle challenged Mayor Phelps's removal power—and his fellow commissioner Cheasty refused even to shake the mayor's hand.

    Sep 8, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

21. The Police Chief Who Refused to Reopen Seattle's Red-Light District

    A behind-the-scenes account of how a police commissioner tried to oust Chief Rogers because he wouldn't let the Blackchapel cribs rent again—and how the mayor stopped him.

    Sep 7, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

22. A Mayor's Nomination and the Aldermen Laying Plans to Block It

    Mayor Phelps names John J. Scurry to the board of public works, and the same aldermanic combination that fought his predecessor quietly organizes to sink the confirmation.

    Jan 25, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle City Hall, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

23. Seattle's Liquor Lobby Calls for a Crackdown

    Local saloon owners, tired of paying high license fees, push the Mayor to shut down unlicensed competition in pharmacies and cafes.

    Jun 29, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWashington Street, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

24. 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

25. The Price of Credit in Snohomish

    A legal summons from 1878 reveals the crushing weight of debt and high-interest loans for local businessmen.

    Aug 10, 1878The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

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