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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1880 | 2 |
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| 1885 | 6 |
| 1886 | 1 |
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71 stories matching spars
- The Secret Underground Boxing Ring
A reporter hides in an attic to witness a clandestine sparring match while the city maintains a facade of propriety.
- The Stevedore’s Claim: A Waterfront Legal Battle
After loading a massive cargo of spars, timber, and planks, a Seattle laborer took the ship owners to federal court to recover his unpaid wages.
- Death in the Ring at the People's Theater
A sparring match at a downtown variety hall turns fatal, sparking a city-wide crackdown on brutal 'glove contests'.
- A Pugilistic Showdown at the Machine Shop
A staged prizefight between two local heavyweights turns into a public spectacle.
- The Bishop, the Convicts, and the Sparring Match
Bishop Wells insists a prisoner-run entertainment at the penitentiary was decorous and proper—not the prizefight rumor made it out to be.
- The Prizefight That Killed a Boxer
A police lieutenant faces suspension for failing to stop a brutal, fatal sparring exhibition at the People's Theater.
- The Smallpox Scare of 1880
When a woman was quarantined in the local pest house for suspected smallpox, local doctors sparred over whether her condition was actually a common venereal disease.
- A Builder's Conflict: Parkinson and the City Contract
Local contractors and workers spar over a building contract awarded to an architect, sparking a debate about public versus private interest in Seattle's growth.
- The Rescue of the Bark Arabella
After running aground, a stranded vessel is saved by the quick work of local steamers.
- The 'Kid Committee' Faces Its Election Tab
Democratic party campaign workers and local publishers spar in court over unpaid bills for 1892 election advertising.
- A Murder on the Nooksack, and the Question of Who Pays for Justice
After Tawes killed William, the territory and the United States sparred over jurisdiction—exposing the legal limbo of non-treaty Indians in Washington Territory.
- The Fight Over the Stubblefield Home
Walla Walla's civic leaders spar with the county attorney over the legality of funding a home for orphaned children.
- The Captain's Feud on the Neah Bay Frontier
A seafarer and trade negotiator publicly spars with a rival over the treatment of Indigenous laborers and local business ethics.
- The Great Encampment Squabble
Washington's citizen-soldiers spar over the location of their permanent training grounds and the pride of hosting a Fourth of July parade.
- Seattle and Tacoma Spar Over Lake Washington Canal
Seattle and Tacoma trade accusations of jealousy and political maneuvering over the proposed Lake Washington Canal.
- A Knockout at the Walla Walla Athletic Club
A boxing match ends in less than a round, leaving the crowd stunned and the challenger dazed.
- The Biting Boxer of Aberdeen
A middleweight bout at the local theater turns ugly when a local fighter resorts to cannibalistic tactics.
- The Blue Law Brawl: Saloon Keepers vs. The Temperance Crusade
In North Yakima, the Women's Christian Temperance Union declares war on Sunday commerce, arresting boxers and threatening every saloon owner in town.
- The City and County Spar Over the Poor
Seattle officials and King County commissioners reach a stalemate over who bears the responsibility for the city's indigent population.
- Seattle's New Athletic Powerhouse
The Olympic Athletic Club and the Seattle Cycling Club merge to dominate the local sports scene, promising new facilities at Woodland Park.
- City and County Spar Over Smallpox Care Costs
A simmering dispute between the Seattle City Council and King County over who should pay to treat the city's sick and indigent.
- Showdown on the Train
A conductor attempts to enforce policy on a woman carrying dogs in a passenger car, only to find himself looking down the barrel of a pistol.
- The Great Aberdeen Road Bond Fight
Prominent citizens spar over a controversial proposal to bond the county for roads, with critics labeling it a 'boomer' scheme.
- The Seattle Athletic Club Rejects Prize Fighting
A newly formed club at the Hotel Northern officially bans professional boxing matches on their premises, signaling a shift toward amateur sport in the young city.
- The City and County Spar Over Who Pays for the Poor
Mayor Ronald and health officials grapple with a budget crisis over the medical care of impoverished residents, highlighting the administrative friction in 1890s Seattle.