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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1888 | 3 |
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28 stories matching ritual
- The A.P.A. and the Fight Against Religious Bigotry
A scathing editorial decries the arrival of the American Protective Association in Seattle, denouncing its anti-Catholic secret agenda as 'idiotic' and a threat to American freedom.
- Seattle Synagogue Modernizes Ritual
Congregation Ohaveth Sholom adopts a conservative reform minhag to shorten and simplify services.
- The Uninvited Guest at the Elks Lodge
A Ballard woman claims she has mastered the secret rituals of the Elks after spying on their meetings from a rooftop, and now she's demanding membership.
- When 500 Knights Paraded Through Seattle: The 1893 Pythian Bash
The Knights of Pythias marked their 30th anniversary with a grand parade, a ball for 1,500 at Armory Hall, and a secret ritual—while scouting land for a proposed Pythian home.
- The Wedding of the Marsh
A satirical look at a rural wedding that turned into a chaotic, memorable spectacle, as reported by the local paper.
- The Strange 'Chicken Oath' in a Seattle Courtroom
A local robbery trial takes a surreal turn as witnesses perform a traditional ritual before testifying.
- A Lonely Death and a Superstitious Ritual
When Mrs. Emily Williams took her own life in a Seattle boarding house, she covered the mirrors in her room, revealing a grim adherence to old-world folklore.
- The Ghostly Exhumation on the Hill
A grieving widow and a procession of mourners perform a mysterious, haunting ritual to rebury a man murdered in the streets of Seattle.
- A Councilman's Attempt at Control
A local Everett union official tries to insert 'obey' into the oath of office for his colleagues.
- Tacoma’s Masonic Temple Opens Its Doors
A landmark for the city’s civic life, the new Masonic temple on St. Helens Avenue was dedicated with elaborate ceremonies today.
- The High Stakes 'Sing-Gamble' of the Cedar River
For over 130 hours, tribes from the Black, Cedar, and Puyallup rivers engaged in an ancient, rhythmic gambling ritual near Renton, staking their entire winter's livelihood on the outcome.
- Old Soldiers Take the Floor: Seattle’s Post-Civil War Fraternal Life
In January 1891, the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and their families gathered in the Hinckley Block to install new officers, a ritual of civic pride and remembrance in a rapidly growing Seattle.
- The Missionary Who Claimed the Pacific Northwest
A century of folklore credits Marcus Whitman with winning Oregon and Washington for the United States through a patriotic Fourth of July ritual.
- The 'Disgusting Custom' of Victorian Child-Kissing
As diphtheria claimed lives along the Pacific Coast, public health experts in 1877 issued a stark warning against social rituals that helped the contagion spread.
- The House-Warming That Defined a Block: Gilson’s Party on Eighth Street
In the summer of 1888, B.K. Gilson and his wife turned their new home at 1018 Eighth Street into the epicenter of Seattle society, blending tea, games, and valuable gifts in a ritual that cemented social status in the growing city.
- The Empty Vault: How the Pioneers' Association Went Broke
A financial audit of the Washington Territorial Association reveals a treasury with no money and a membership list full of ghosts, raising questions about the future of Seattle's oldest civic society.
- The Fading Ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic
Twenty elderly Civil War veterans observed Memorial Day in Lynden, marching with the local Woman's Relief Corps to honor the fallen.
- The Reverend’s Unholy Reputation
A former San Francisco pastor arrives in Washington to lecture on 'morality' while dodging local rumors of scandalous affairs.
- The Temperance Parade of 1885
When the youth of a small Washington settlement marched with flags and banners to take a stand against tobacco and rum.
- A Death Oath in the Silver Federation—and a Man Who Vanished
The Spokane press called the Farmers' Protective Silver Federation secret, oath-bound, and rifle-armed, then linked it to the disappearance of Gloystein.
- Seattle Buries Bailey Gatzert Under a Grave of Flowers
The ex-mayor, banker and merchant drew hundreds to the Rainier Hotel, where Masons, city officials and civic societies honored a pioneer.
- The President’s Silent Salute: McKinley and the Grand Army on Memorial Day
As thousands gathered in Seattle to honor Civil War dead, a minor diplomatic incident involving Mayor Hewitt revealed the deep fractures within the veteran community.
- A Fraternal Leader Draws the Line at English—and at the Ballot Box
Visiting Knights of Pythias supreme chancellor W. W. Blackwell wants the order to require English and ties voting rights to language, warning of foreign anarchists.
- A Missing Man, a Secret Silver Oath, and a Sheriff's Certainty
Charles K. Gloystein vanished after refusing a vigilante pledge; Sheriff Pugh blamed political enemies in Spokane County's Populist hotbed.
- The Great Odd Fellows Sleep-In: A Night of Fractured Rituals in Seattle
When the Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows convened in June 1909, a bizarre mix of procedural delays and social distractions turned a solemn ceremony into a chaotic spectacle that spilled onto the dance floor.