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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 4 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 4 |
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| 1892 | 5 |
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| 1894 | 7 |
| 1895 | 2 |
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| 1903 | 6 |
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| 1911 | 1 |
61 stories matching refin
- The Sugar Trust Checks In at the Rainier
At the Rainier Hotel, sugar magnate H. O. Havemeyer explains how the trust reincorporated after being declared illegal and predicts Seattle and Tacoma will control Pacific shipping north of San Francisco.
- The Night a Gilded Age Mansion Lit the Road to Its Own Party
In 1894, Horace and Susan Henry welcomed nearly 200 guests to their new showpiece house above Lake Union—then sent them home by special streetcar under a private line of electric lights.
- The Industrial Kingdom of Port Gamble
In 1872, the Puget Mill Company reigned supreme over a company town that prioritized industrial output and 'refinement'—with a cemetery view to match.
- The Tragic End of a Lonely Immigrant
A German immigrant, once prosperous and educated, dies by suicide in a lonely cabin on the Grant Street Bridge after years of decline and heartbreak.
- The Chief's Daughter in the Shadow of the City Named for Her Father
A San Francisco Chronicle correspondent visits Princess Angeline in her Seattle shack and finds the city proudly carving her father's face on a new business block while his daughter lives on charity.
- The Boom That Built Bellingham: How Four Towns Merged Into One City
In the spring of 1904, the bustling communities of Sehome, Whatcom, Fairhaven, and Bellingham were rapidly converging. With housing prices soaring and carpenters working day and night, this historic merger created the city we know today.
- The Oil Men’s Last Stand: Seattle’s Battle Over Fire Safety and Corporate Power
In March 1889, a proposed ordinance to ban oil storage within city limits sparked a fierce standoff between the Board of Trade and powerful petroleum interests. While the city pushed for safety, the oil dealers argued the rules were discriminatory and economically impossible, setting the stage for a legal battle that would define Seattle’s industrial future.
- The Runaway's Plea for Mercy
A teenage girl escapes her abusive uncle and aunt in Port Angeles, only to be detained by Port Townsend police while trying to return to the only home she ever knew.
- The Brutal Reality of Convict Leasing in the Washington Territory
A scathing look at the state's profit-driven 'convict lease' system, where human beings were treated as disposable capital and exploited for labor with zero accountability for their survival.
- The Trial of City Treasurer Adolph Krug
A Seattle judge rejects the defense's motion to dismiss embezzlement charges, invoking the history of the law against modern corporate corruption.
- The Empire Sells Off the Smelter
Independent miners in the Pacific Northwest move to seize control of the Everett reduction works, breaking the stranglehold of the industry trust.
- Tragedy at the Falls
A young woman is found dead near the Spokane River following a flash flood.
- Love vs. Father: The Seattle Elopation That Defied a Kentucky Patriarch
When her fiancé’s train was late and her father sent a telegram to stop the wedding, a spirited young woman from Louisville chose love over obedience in downtown Seattle.
- The Great Welcome: Seattle Plans a 'Rousing' Ovation for Returning War Heroes
Mayor Humes and city officials rally behind a public subscription to fund fireworks, banquets, and even a mock battle at Lake Washington to greet the Washington Volunteers returning from Manila.
- The Prizefighter’s Penance: John L. Sullivan in Seattle
After his high-profile prizefight in the Pacific Northwest, boxing legend John L. Sullivan faces a harsh judicial reality in a Seattle courtroom.
- Seattle Voters Weigh Debt Bonds and Sewer Tunnel
Seattle voters head to the polls to decide whether to refinance the city's floating debt and complete the critical Lake Union sewer tunnel.
- The 'Pretty Widow' Conning the Coast
A charming socialite accused of swindling Seattle investors with worthless oil stocks awaits her day in court, leaving police convinced no jury will dare to convict her.
- Union Clash at the Everett Smelter
Management threatens to shutter the newly constructed smelter indefinitely if organized labor interferes with non-union hiring.
- A County Asks to Refinance Its Credit Card
Pend Oreille County carries $183,000 in 8-per-cent warrants it cannot pay, plus $18,000 in accrued interest. On September 7 voters are asked to swap the whole pile for $200,000 in 4-per-cent bonds — a second time, because the first election was voided on a technicality.
- The Primary Teacher’s Plea: Why Seattle’s Schools Are Failing Our Children
Miss C.I.T. Parsons delivers a scathing indictment of the King County Teachers' Institute, arguing that cheap buildings and unqualified instructors are robbing Seattle’s youth of their potential.
- The Seattle Literary Club’s Debate on the Future of Womanhood
In an era of rapid transition, local voices gathered to debate whether women should practice law, medicine, or politics—or if they should be spared from the 'mire' of public life.
- The Brutal Spectacle at West Seattle
Protesters condemn the planned Fourth of July pigeon shoot as cruel and lacking in true sportsmanship.
- City Council Approves Controversial 'Shields Park' Theater
Despite neighborhood opposition, Walla Walla officials greenlight a new outdoor theater, sparking a debate over the quality and morality of local entertainment.
- The 1892 Great Refinance: Seattle’s Massive Municipal Debt Crisis
Facing a mountain of legal judgments and unpaid warrants, the city council authorized $865,000 in bonds to stabilize the young city’s finances.
- Seattle's Schools on the Brink: The 1895 Debt Vote That Could Have Cut the School Year to Six Months
With floating warrants piling up and the tax base shrinking, School District No. 1 asked voters to ratify about $387,000 in debt and refinance it before the school term was cut from ten months to six.