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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 8 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 9 |
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| 1892 | 10 |
| 1893 | 6 |
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| 1895 | 6 |
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| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 6 |
| 1904 | 10 |
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| 1911 | 1 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1924 | 2 |
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112 stories matching rigid
- The Great Seattle Tent-Roof Controversy
Facing a winter housing shortage, Seattle officials were forced to choose between strict fire safety codes and allowing residents to shelter themselves under makeshift canvas roofs.
- The Price of a Bible and a Grumpy Husband
A Preston man’s fiery reaction to his wife lending their only Bible captures the domestic tensions and religious rigidity of territorial life.
- Safety Crackdown After Lake Chelan Boat Fire
Following a near-disaster on the gas launch Victory, officials mandate stricter safety inspections for inland watercraft.
- A Warning to Settlers on the Nisqually Reservation
Federal agents move to enforce strict control over timber and property rights on Indigenous land.
- The Uncharted Sphere of a Seattle Businesswoman
A local female shopkeeper in 1872 challenges the rigid gender expectations of the era through quiet, competent labor.
- Kennewick Sheriff Spares the Dog, Bills the Owner
A new enforcement order ends the practice of killing unmuzzled dogs found at large, putting fines and jail time on the people who let them run.
- The City Police Station Turns Into an Impromptu Barbershop
Twenty-six aspiring barbers descended upon police headquarters for a rigorous examination and practical test of their skills.
- Kennewick's Ten-Mile-Per-Hour Traffic Crackdown
City council mandates strict enforcement of speed limits and lighting requirements for automobiles and motorcycles.
- Seattle Orders Streets Cleared Following Great Fire
City officials demand the immediate removal of impromptu sidewalk stalls that sprouted after the destruction of the downtown business district.
- The Absurd Cost of Imaginary State Lines
A local rancher laments how rigid cross-state veterinary inspection laws turn a simple pig sale into a financial catastrophe.
- Mentalist Collapses on Seattle Stage
A theatrical performance of 'muscle reading' turned into a medical emergency when Prof. J. McIvor Tyndall collapsed in a cataleptic fit.
- The Vision for a Central Park
Superintendent Schwagerl plans to transform a forty-acre ridge tract into an exposition of native Washington flora and a scenic reservoir.
- The Expulsion Continues
A group of Chinese travelers is forcibly escorted out of Tacoma by local longshoremen, confirming the city's rigid policy of exclusion.
- The Struggle for Space at Seattle High School
As the class of 1893 graduates, the school’s principal warns that overcrowding and a lack of facilities are stalling the city’s educational ambitions.
- The Smallpox Threat from Victoria
As cases of smallpox rise rapidly in British Columbia, Seattle calls for a strict maritime quarantine to protect the city.
- A Seventeen-Year-Old's Failed Quest for a Marriage License
After her father abandoned her, a young woman faced the rigid wall of bureaucratic requirements when she tried to marry.
- The Price of Mislabeling Butter
A Seattle grocer learns the hard way that missing a labeling requirement for 'process' butter is a punishable offense under state law.
- Kennewick and Richland Growers Form Strawberry Cooperative
Local farmers sign a new marketing agreement to stabilize the strawberry crop through a centralized cooperative.
- Religious Conflict at Vashon College
A Catholic student leaves Vashon College after being forced to attend Protestant services, sparking a debate over secular versus religious education.
- A Diphtheria Scare at the Falls
A young woman's battle with a deadly disease prompts a public health warning for Spokane.
- The Silent Hours at the State Capitol
A local labor newspaper questions the integrity of the state labor commissioner, accusing him of ignoring labor violations to serve his political masters.
- A Threat to Washington’s Orchards
A government inspector warns that nursery stock across Washington and Oregon is infested, putting the future of fruit exports to British Columbia at risk.
- 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.
- The Crackdown on 'Fast Riding' in Old Seattle
When rowdy horsemen turned Front Street into a racetrack, the city police decided the era of reckless riding in the city center had to end.
- City Finances Near Total Collapse
Tacoma’s Controller warns that general expense funds will run dry within six months as expenditures dwarf tax collections.