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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 6 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 6 |
| 1863 | 17 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 17 |
| 1876 | 35 |
| 1877 | 37 |
| 1878 | 31 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 7 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 16 |
| 1885 | 29 |
| 1886 | 17 |
| 1887 | 16 |
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 69 |
| 1890 | 10 |
| 1891 | 49 |
| 1892 | 71 |
| 1893 | 93 |
| 1894 | 107 |
| 1895 | 106 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 30 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 55 |
| 1904 | 30 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 53 |
| 1910 | 10 |
| 1911 | 8 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1915 | 12 |
| 1916 | 19 |
| 1917 | 11 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1923 | 2 |
| 1924 | 10 |
| 1925 | 3 |
1,082 stories matching privat
- 1891 Commission Rejects Private Control of Seattle Harbor
A landmark 1891 report reveals the state's fierce battle against private interests to reclaim Seattle's tide lands and shoreline for public use.
- Is the Road Law Unconstitutional?
A Seattle man challenges the legality of a new road near Houghton, claiming private property rights are being trampled for the benefit of a few.
- The Standoff at Vantage Ferry
The state attempts to block a private toll bridge at Vantage Ferry, pushing for a public crossing to secure federal highway aid.
- Tacoma Votes to Break the Power Monopoly
Citizens overwhelmingly approve a municipal power plant, aiming to reclaim control from private interests and slash utility influence.
- The Bureaucratic Bind at Puyallup
A legal dispute over private property rights leaves the Interior Department unable to build new structures on the Puyallup Indian School grounds.
- The Chief of Police’s Private Vendetta
Seattle’s police chief is under fire for allegedly using his badge to smear a peaceful citizen through fabricated letters and baseless professional surveillance.
- The Battle for the Columbia River Crossing
A federal hearing reveals tensions between the State Highway Department's road plans and a private corporation's bid to span the Columbia.
- The Detective Paid to Spy on Palouse Saloons
A taxpayer injunction hits the Palouse city council after they authorized public funds to hire a private investigator to catch local saloon keepers breaking the law.
- The Waterfront War: How Seattle's Property Owners Stopped the State from Stealing Their Land
A landmark court ruling in January 1901 declares that the state cannot redraw harbor lines and seize waterfront property without paying fair compensation, marking a major victory for private ownership against government overreach.
- Washington State Bans Private Mercenary Guards
New legislation makes it a serious crime for companies to employ private detective agencies like the Pinkertons to suppress strikes or intimidate employees.
- The Great Land Ring of the Northern Pacific
Settlers of Washington Territory take on a powerful railroad corporation accused of hoarding public land for private profit.
- Should Schools Run the Cafeteria?
Tacoma considers following Seattle's lead by providing student meals at cost, challenging the private contractors who profit from children's stomachs.
- The Industrialist Who Built the Waterfront
John Leary's ambitious shipbuilding operations at the dawn of 1885 turn Seattle into a hub of private enterprise and labor, defying the shadow of corporate interests.
- Who Owns the Yakima River?
A clash is brewing as the federal government attempts to wrestle control of irrigation systems from private companies in the Yakima Valley.
- The Fight Over Corporate Subsidies in the 1889 State Constitution
Delegates at the Washington Constitutional Convention engage in a heated debate over whether counties should be allowed to use public tax money to subsidize private railroad construction.
- County Funds Blocked for Stubblefield Charity
A legal opinion warns that Walla Walla County cannot donate public tax dollars to a private, non-controlled, multi-state charitable trust.
- Harrington & Smith Secure Waterfront Legacy
A landmark property transfer on Commercial Street marks the largest private real estate sale in the Territory's history.
- The Great Tide Land Tug-of-War
Delegates at the Washington Constitutional Convention debate whether to reserve the state's waterfronts for the public or sell them to private interests.
- The Struggle for a Public Labor Bureau
Seattle city leaders debate establishing a municipal office to connect workers with jobs and combat the predatory practices of private employment agencies.
- Seattle's Crackdown on 'Wine Rooms'
City officials move to outlaw private booths and closed 'wine rooms' in saloons to curb illicit activity.
- Territorial Road Building: Public Duty or Private Profit?
Early Washington legislators debate the morality of state-funded road construction that prioritizes commercial routes over local infrastructure.
- The Battle for the Tideflats: A Legal Standoff in Early Seattle
A landmark court ruling in 1890 defined the limits of corporate expansion over the rights of property owners, setting a precedent for Seattle’s rapidly changing waterfront.
- The Legal Limits of Private Passion
A Skagit County man is fighting a federal indictment for mailing 'obscene' letters to his late lover, claiming that private correspondence does not constitute public distribution.
- Tacoma Votes Overwhelmingly for Municipal Power
Citizens reject private utility monopoly to authorize a city-owned power plant on the Nisqually River.
- After the Great Fire of 1889: Rebuilding a City from the Ashes
While Seattle recovers from a devastating conflagration, a citywide debate pits public safety and urban planning against private interests over the future layout of the business district.