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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 12 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1878 | 9 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 16 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 16 |
| 1886 | 3 |
| 1887 | 7 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 22 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 16 |
| 1892 | 57 |
| 1893 | 28 |
| 1894 | 32 |
| 1895 | 48 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 12 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 25 |
| 1904 | 15 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 4 |
| 1909 | 24 |
| 1910 | 4 |
| 1911 | 3 |
| 1914 | 5 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 19 |
| 1917 | 8 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1922 | 2 |
| 1923 | 5 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 2 |
| 1928 | 1 |
439 stories matching spend
- The Night Kennewick Didn't Show
A Finley Grange fair meant to buy a piano turns into a bitter lesson in small-town loyalty, with only two Kennewick families in the hall.
- Keep Your Money at Home? In Kennewick, the Shoe-Leather Trail Led to Pasco
A letter to the editor takes aim at buy-local boosterism, arguing that Kennewick shoppers already knew the real prices—and often crossed the river to Pasco or sent away for mail-order catalogs.
- Women, Workers, and a $40,000 School Bond
Olympia prepared to vote on a new high school, with women at the polls and labor demanding that local hands build it.
- The Rivalry That Built the Sound
In 1887, C.B. Wright, a key figure in the development of Tacoma, reflects on the 'nip and go' panic that forced the Northern Pacific terminus to choose between Tacoma and Seattle.
- The Price of Rebuilding Seattle After the Great Fire
As the city rises from the ashes of the 1889 Great Fire, editors urge property owners to resist the temptation of 'fire traps' and prioritize permanent, safe construction over quick profits.
- The Deserted Settlers of Yakima
How a powerful railroad corporation abandoned the communities it promised to serve.
- A Montana Millionaire's Secret Seattle Wedding
Hugh F. Galen, a wealthy Helena mine owner and politician, secretly married schoolteacher Laura B. Tague at a Seattle church, then slipped away to California—leaving friends in Montana to plan a reception.
- The Streetcar Franchise Fight That Put Seattle’s Council on the Spot
Property owners demand the double track promised with their $900,000 subsidy; delegates reject an extension, and aldermen agree to hear the crowd.
- The Orcas Island Poaching War
Island residents are taking a stand against commercial hunters who are stripping the local deer population bare without contributing to the community.
- The Skagit County Seat Heist
A secret 'Business Men’s Association' in Anacortes hatches a high-stakes campaign to pilfer the county seat from Mount Vernon, complete with paid-off laborers and promises of a grand courthouse.
- Sunday Statistics: The War for the Soul of Seattle's Youth
Rev. Wallace Nutting takes a census of the city’s saloons and churches to prove the moral decay of young men in the West.
- Fifty Shingle Men March Up the Hill—and Back Down Again
Seattle's shingle manufacturers spend a full day fixing prices, then panic and rescind the whole scheme in the final five minutes.
- Life in the Yakima Prospecting Camps
A vivid look at the daily grit, dashed hopes, and stubborn optimism of the men digging for fortunes in the upper Natchees.
- Unnamed Drifter Saves Girl from Drowning
A homeless man risked his life to pull a young girl from the water near the Great Northern tracks, only to walk away and spend the reward money on liquor.
- The Secretary of the Navy Rides a Streetcar and Sees Seattle's Future
Secretary of the Navy Herbert spends a rainy Sabbath touring the proposed Lake Washington ship canal, is dazzled by the view from Broadway, and declares the waterway not only certain but a naval refuge in wartime.
- Spokane Prepares to Welcome the Northern Pacific’s Last-Spike Excursion
In September 1883, Spokane Falls planned arches, speeches and a day of civic pageantry to greet President Henry Villard and the railroad party opening the transcontinental line.
- City Council Faces Tough Choices on Infrastructure Spending
Proposals to fund sewer systems and an electric light plant pit civic necessity against concerns over rising debt and wasteful spending.
- The Social Cost of the 'Sporting Fraternity'
A debate sparks over whether local businesses truly benefit from the money railroad men lose to gambling.
- The Great Northern Depot Tug-of-War
Seattle city leaders clash over the demand for a $200,000 grand terminal as a condition for the railroad's franchise.
- The Chamber of Commerce vs. The City Hall
Tacoma's business establishment pushes for aggressive municipal spending cuts, sparking a petty war with the city council.
- The Sunday Closing Wars in Tacoma
A strict new enforcement of the Sunday blue laws sparks community outrage and drives local spending to a rival city.
- A Steam-Heated Night Inside Mount Rainier
A local professor and two students discovered steam-filled caverns and potential new plant species while spending a harrowing night inside the crater of Mount Rainier.
- The High Cost of Empty Promises
The Aberdeen Herald argues that a proposed $310,000 road bond will tax local residents into poverty without delivering viable infrastructure.
- The True Cost of a Found Five-Dollar Gold Piece
A local man's sudden windfall leads to a cautionary tale of impulsive spending that quickly outstripped his luck.
- The Nez Perce Spend Their Windfall
After receiving a large payment, the Nez Perce people arrived in Farmington to trade, filling the town with new buggies, blankets, and curiosity.
Also about this, in other words
- The Battle for Budget Transparency
Voters are urged to support Referendum No. 9 to force public officials to publish expenditure estimates and hold open hearings.
- Shopping Day for the Indigenous Visitors
A bustling Saturday in Seattle as Indigenous visitors from the bay fill the city's stores with goods and dry items.
- Territorial Superintendent Critiques School Spending
A report to the Legislature highlights the tension between building a university and funding basic district schools in 1862.
- City Finances Near Total Collapse
Tacoma’s Controller warns that general expense funds will run dry within six months as expenditures dwarf tax collections.
- The Merchant's Dilemma
A local merchant vents his frustration over wealthy patrons who expect him to function as their private banker.
- A Costly Slip: The Sink That Flooded Pioneer Square
A plumber’s oversight at a dry goods shop leads to a deluge that ruins thousands of dollars in stock, exposing the fragility of Seattle’s burgeoning commercial district.
- Taxpayers' Union Declares War on County Spending
Prosser-based citizens group demands cuts to health and horticultural budgets, targeting local officials over alleged waste.
- The War on Waste Comes to Kennewick
Local merchants restrict deliveries and introduce a five-cent surcharge to boost efficiency for the war effort.