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49 stories matching precious
- The Boom That Refuses To Bust
While critics predicted the collapse of the Washington boom, the territory points to its literal bedrock—coal, iron, timber, and grain—as proof of its enduring prosperity.
- Bethune’s Report Chronicles Washington’s Early Gold Discoveries
A state geologist’s 1891 report reveals the immense mineral promise of Washington, dreaming of a future where steel mills line the mountains and industrial progress transforms the rugged wilderness.
- Washington State’s Hidden Fire Opals
Gem expert George Frederick Kunz reveals that a jeweler's chance find in a well-digging site near the Idaho border uncovered a treasure trove of opals.
- A Ledge of Bismuth: Deer Park's Tungsten King Assays Rich
Miners drifting into the Tungsten King hit an eight-foot ledge assaying $1,100 a ton in bismuth, with silver and gold besides.
- Russell Conwell Urges Tacoma to Find Its Own 'Acres of Diamonds'
The famous orator visits the First Christian Church to challenge Tacoma residents to recognize the latent wealth and potential in their own backyard.
- A Gem Rush in Whitman County
Prospectors uncover veins of onyx and fire opal near Colfax, sparking excitement about the region's hidden mineral wealth.
- The Auctioneer and the Widow's Heirloom
A desperate widow, a misplaced cedar cabinet, and a piece of paper that held the future of her children.
- The Hidden Wealth of the Mountains
Prospectors are scouring the headwaters of the Yakima and Wenatchee rivers, unearthing silver and galena as the mining fever reaches an all-time high.
- Utsalady Bay's Dream of a Great City
An 1890 advertisement pitches the deep-water harbor of Utsalady as the inevitable next metropolis of the Pacific Northwest.
- Direct Trade with Hawaii Arrives
A Hawaiian brig arrives in Olympia, signaling a potential shift from territorial isolation to a direct exchange of island goods for Puget Sound timber.
- Grays Harbor City Townsites Scheme Ends in 1891
How professional townsite boomers once built a 'city' of imagination that existed only on paper, leaving investors with nothing but worthless lithographs.
- The High Cost of Neglected Apiaries
A local beekeeping expert warns that failing to clear weeds from hive entrances is costing regional producers significant honey yields.
- A Near-Death Experience on Lake Union
Three young men capsized in a pleasure boat, saved by the quick thinking of two local boaters who paddled out to rescue them.
- The Gold Rush on the Pacific Beaches
A Tacoma syndicate aims to extract gold and platinum from the sands of Beard's Hollow near Ilwaco.
- The Frontier Prospect: Surveying the Skagit River's Hidden Wealth
An 1872 exploration report charts the potential for settlement, steam navigation, and resource extraction along the Skagit River, framing the 'great jam' of timber as a challenge to be conquered by modern commerce.
- Holiday Revelry in Early Renton
A historic gathering of pioneer families at the new schoolhouse marked a high-water mark for the young coal mining settlement.
- The Great Manastache Mining Hoax
A town's feverish dreams of gold were shattered when a slick assayer fled with their hopes and their money.
- The Boomtown That Never Was: The Dreams of Utsalady
In 1891, real estate speculators pitched the small harbor town of Utsalady as a future metropolis destined to surpass Seattle.
- The Dangerous Habit of Ignoring Contagion
An 1886 editorial warns Seattle residents against the 'criminal' practice of visiting neighbors and public schools while carrying the germs of diphtheria and scarlet fever.
- The Ghost City of Utsalady
In 1891, a developer touted Utsalady as a burgeoning industrial giant on the Sound, envisioning it as a 'second Seattle' fueled by timber, coal, and mineral wealth. History took a different path.
- A Frontier Promise Kept
In an era of rugged isolation, an anonymous immigrant couple reflects on twenty years of marriage, the silence of their home, and the sudden joy of a child arriving on Christmas Day.
- The Mule-Handling Tactics of 1877
A dialect poem from the Seattle Daily Intelligencer offers a glimpse into the frontier humor and casual racism prevalent in the territorial era's agricultural life.
- Japanese Treasures Arrive Through the Storm
A historic shipment of art and artifacts from Japan, including the Mikado’s personal collection, survives a harrowing voyage across the Pacific to reach Tacoma.
- An 1891 Investor's Case for Utsalady
In 1891, real estate promoters pitched Utsalady as the inevitable future metropolis of the Puget Sound, promising that its deep-water harbor and timber wealth would eclipse every other city in the region.
- The Doctor’s Bill vs. The Cure: A Colfax Family’s War on Typhoid
When typhoid fever struck a household in Colfax, Washington, one family claims their conventional medical treatment failed—until they turned to the 'hygeic' system of Dr. Glover.