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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 5 |
| 1859 | 4 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 9 |
| 1862 | 9 |
| 1863 | 6 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1872 | 17 |
| 1876 | 62 |
| 1877 | 55 |
| 1878 | 41 |
| 1879 | 5 |
| 1880 | 15 |
| 1882 | 8 |
| 1883 | 64 |
| 1884 | 33 |
| 1885 | 60 |
| 1886 | 31 |
| 1887 | 27 |
| 1888 | 26 |
| 1889 | 98 |
| 1890 | 17 |
| 1891 | 82 |
| 1892 | 150 |
| 1893 | 115 |
| 1894 | 162 |
| 1895 | 211 |
| 1897 | 5 |
| 1898 | 13 |
| 1899 | 20 |
| 1902 | 4 |
| 1903 | 66 |
| 1904 | 47 |
| 1905 | 9 |
| 1907 | 4 |
| 1908 | 35 |
| 1909 | 67 |
| 1910 | 10 |
| 1911 | 5 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 20 |
| 1915 | 16 |
| 1916 | 28 |
| 1917 | 11 |
| 1918 | 5 |
| 1922 | 2 |
| 1923 | 8 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 2 |
| 1929 | 1 |
1,701 stories matching purpos
- Mining Claims vs. Townsites in Republic
A landmark land office ruling clarifies whether land should be used for mining or settlement.
- The State vs. The Oyster Poachers
Land Commissioner C.V. Savidge cancels a tide land deed in Hood Canal, setting a precedent that public oyster lands must serve the shellfish industry, not private real estate greed.
- The Trial of the Anti-Chinese Conspirators
A federal judge clarifies the legal bounds of anti-Chinese intimidation in King County, 1886.
- The Battle for the Irrigation Ditch
North Yakima residents clash with the city council over the right to water their gardens after a street grading project cuts off their supply.
- A Taxpayer Fights the Assessor for Six Years — and Loses
William Craswell petitions the county board to strike fraudulent assessments from the rolls and demands back the money already taken; the commissioners refuse, then set the rates for everyone else.
- A $650,000 Mortgage Put Walla Walla’s Gas, Electric, and Water Future in Philadelphia Hands
The Northwestern Gas and Electric Company mortgaged its Walla Walla County plants, franchises, and water rights to secure a major bond issue—and announced new power development on the Walla Walla River.
- The Shadow Army of 1880
A secret, oath-bound military organization of 'Boys in Blue' stirs fears of a rigged election and armed insurrection in Washington Territory.
- The Battle for Salmon Bay’s Sand Spit
A multi-year legal feud over a railway right-of-way and a squatter’s claim reaches the courtroom.
- Tacoma Police Ordered Out of Saloons
New orders from the Chief of Police strictly prohibit patrolmen from drinking on the job or entering saloons unless officially required.
- The City Hall Bond Gamble
Aberdeen is rushing to saddle the city with an $80,000 debt—but do the taxpayers understand the fine print?
- The Battle for the Ball Park
A legal tug-of-war over site rentals for the Walla Walla Military Band's summer carnival pits the property owner against the baseball management.
- The Price of Poaching in the Bering Sea
A federal court cracks down on seal hunters as the United States asserts its authority over Alaskan waters.
- Timber Syndicates Used Dummy Squatters to Seize Washington’s State Lands
A state land cruiser describes a systematic scheme: Eastern syndicates paid men to squat on the best timber, commute it cheaply, then move on to the next quarter section—land meant to fund schools and public institutions.
- Fairhaven Calls for Incorporation
The Whatcom County Commissioners issue a formal notice for the upcoming election to establish the city as an incorporated municipality.
- A Dual-Purpose Building Rises on West Second
Construction begins on a new block that promises to house both a modern meat market and a cultural auditorium for the town.
- The Birthday Deception in Ballard
A local reading circle purposely published a false meeting announcement to surprise a popular schoolteacher on her birthday.
- Crackdown on Human Trafficking in the Pacific Northwest
Federal officials in Portland and Seattle move to deport Japanese women brought into the country for forced labor and prostitution.
- The Price of a 'Pest House' in Pioneer Seattle
As drought and economic chaos gripped 1877 San Francisco, Seattle citizens found themselves debating the ethics of turning a local residential property into an isolation facility for the smallpox-stricken.
- The U.S. Navy’s Floating Picnic Basket
While Washington territory officials argued over naval procurement, one local paper questioned why the government was spending a fortune on a useless 'dispatch boat' better suited for parties than maritime defense.
- Cattleman Arrested in Alleged Human Trafficking Scheme
A wealthy Walla Walla cattle rancher is caught trying to flee to Mexico after being charged with bringing a Parisian woman to Washington for immoral purposes.
- The Battle for Tacoma's Gravity Water
A multimillionaire financier demands the city act on bonds, but the controller slams the brakes on the project.
- The Speedway Water War
A debate in City Hall reveals deep friction over municipal water usage for private recreation versus public benefit.
- The Speculative Homestead That Built Everett
A federal land office ruling exposes how a 'homestead' was actually a calculated land grab to secure the future site of a new industrial city.
- The Bold Dream to Remake Seattle's Waterways
In 1880, a group of prominent citizens proposed a canal between Lake Union and Puget Sound to drain Lake Washington, reclaim farmland, and create an industrial powerhouse.
- Queen Anne Parents Freeze the School Fund
Residents obtain an injunction to stop the school board from spending building money on other warrants, charging that children are stuck in a ruinous board structure.