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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1860 | 2 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 7 |
| 1876 | 30 |
| 1877 | 27 |
| 1878 | 18 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 22 |
| 1884 | 12 |
| 1885 | 17 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 16 |
| 1888 | 11 |
| 1889 | 57 |
| 1890 | 9 |
| 1891 | 75 |
| 1892 | 136 |
| 1893 | 126 |
| 1894 | 266 |
| 1895 | 397 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1897 | 4 |
| 1898 | 9 |
| 1899 | 25 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 53 |
| 1904 | 25 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 5 |
| 1908 | 13 |
| 1909 | 78 |
| 1910 | 23 |
| 1911 | 16 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 17 |
| 1915 | 10 |
| 1916 | 17 |
| 1917 | 17 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
1,587 stories matching special
- Who Pays When the City's Warrants Go Bad?
A judge says Olympia cannot be forced to cover special improvement warrants with general taxes, leaving the loss to fall on the people holding the paper.
- Aberdeen Faces School Funding Crisis
School board calls for a special election to determine if property owners will pay an additional tax to keep classes in session.
- City Officials Cover for Strikebreaking Police
A secret reversal of policy allows the Fire and Police Commission to hide the identities of special officers hired by the Sumner Iron Works.
- City Wins Right to Levy Special Street Assessments
A landmark court decision by Judge Greene clears the path for city infrastructure funding by upholding the legality of special assessments for street improvements.
- The High Cost of Efficiency
Labor leader John Mitchell warns that the drive for corporate efficiency and bonus systems is pushing workers toward mental breakdown.
- The Water-Sprinkling Scandal
A taxpayer calls out city hall for permitting the wealthy to water their lawns for free while the rest of Tacoma pays.
- Everett Voters Oust Leadership
Citizens of Everett successfully recalled their mayor and commissioner for failing to address vice and corporate taxation.
- A Special Session Becomes an Impeachment Court
Washington lawmakers returned to Olympia to try Insurance Commissioner Schively, with the accused demanding that more than a dozen senators be disqualified as biased judges.
- When Seattle Made Property Owners Pay for Street Grading
An 1878 ordinance reveals the early mechanics of Seattle’s urban development and the 'special assessment' taxes that forced property owners to pay for city street improvements.
- The Machine Behind the Badge
Striking Everett machinists allege that local industry and the police have merged, with company men serving as 'special police' to suppress picket lines.
- A Train Wreck on the Great Northern
General Manager A. L. Mohler, his wife, and daughter miraculously survive a high-speed collision between a special train and a freight locomotive.
- Stalled Bribery Investigation Still Looms Over Council
A special committee delays its report on allegations of bribery regarding an independent telephone franchise.
- The Fight Against Walla Walla’s Bicycle Tax
While the Supreme Court has deemed special vehicle taxes unconstitutional, Walla Walla cyclists continue to pay up for the sake of path maintenance.
- The Town That Voted to Keep Its Saloon
By a single vote, the town of Steilacoom decided to maintain its remaining liquor license in a special election.
- The Reverend’s Estate: A Seattle Administrator Accused of Paying Himself First
Rev. L. Parker wants the court to approve his accounts, but a special administrator says he spent estate money without permission, inflated legal fees, and sent a mortgage to his brother in Canada.
- The False Deputy of the Snohomish River Bridge
A machinist strike in Everett turns into a legal farce when a 'special police officer' is revealed to be a hired gun without any official authority.
- Aberdeen's Schools Face a Budgetary Cliff
With a funding shortfall and the economic pain of the 1894 railroad strike hitting local coffers, the newly formed school board struggles to keep doors open for more than six months.
- Tacoma Man Sets the Record Straight on the Northern Pacific Land Grant
Paul Schulze writes to correct a special telegram claiming the Supreme Court annulled the railroad's land grant from Portland to Tacoma, arguing the decision was narrow and fears of a land rush are overblown.
- The Bogus Timber Inspector
A man's elaborate fabrication of a government appointment leads to a public scandal and an investigation into fraud.
- Seattle’s Schools Ask Voters to Make the Ledger Balance
With teachers discounting their own salary warrants, the school board calls a special election to validate a $37,000 floating debt and put the district on a cash basis.
- City Hall Gridlocked Over Political Appointments
A three-minute special meeting ends in a stalemate as aldermen refuse to confirm the Mayor’s picks for the Board of Public Works.
- Senate Schedules Puyallup Reservation Bill for Debate
Senator Allen secures a special order to debate the bill concerning the Puyallup Indian Reservation.
- The Battle Over Gold and Greenbacks in Walla Walla
A legal dispute over whether debts must be paid in gold or federal paper money echoes the era's financial uncertainty.
- The Call for a State Constitutional Convention
In 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued an official proclamation calling for a special election to select delegates for a convention to draft a state constitution for Washington.
- The Special Agent's Plea for Peace
Michael T. Simmons, newly appointed Indian Agent, calls for an end to liquor sales and unauthorized violence in the Puget Sound region.