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62 stories matching spike
- The Last Spike for the Great Northern
Without fanfare, the transcontinental link is finished in the Cascades, promising a new era for Seattle.
- The Final Spike: Connecting the Cascade Division
A commemorative ceremony at the west portal of the Stampede Pass tunnel marks a massive milestone for Northern Pacific Railway expansion.
- A Costly Slip at the City Dock
Thousands of dollars in railroad spikes plunged into the bay after a dock stringer gave way under the massive weight of materials.
- The Miracle of the Magnetized Spikes
A visiting electrical engineer stuns a packed Plymouth Congregational Church with a massive 5,000-candlepower lamp and a demonstration of magnetic force.
- Sunken Piles Turning the Waterfront into a Minefield
Steamboat captains demand action against loose, spiked pilings clogging the Seattle harbor and threatening the hulls of local vessels.
- Paint the Town for the Last Spike
With the Northern Pacific about to close the continent, Spokane Falls is told to clean its streets, whitewash its houses, and prepare for a wealth-laden excursion.
- Sabotage on the Tracks: The Napavine Train-Wrecking Plot
A suspicious man is arrested near a trestle after wreckers attempt to derail a Northern Pacific train by pulling spikes and loosening rail plates.
- The Fake Telegram That Almost Started a Diplomatic Incident
A bored telegraph operator in Blaine sparked a scandal after forging a message from Secretary of State James G. Blaine to a town assembly, causing embarrassment for local officials and leading to an investigation by the Pacific Postal Telegraph Company.
- The Scotch Sailor Boy’s Harrowing Escape
A teenage apprentice tells the tale of his brutal treatment, false imprisonment, and survival following a shipwreck in Lower California.
- The Jail That Wasn't: A Tour of Port Madison’s Fortress
While Seattle’s own jails were often little more than wooden rooms with locks, the new facility on Port Madison was built like a fortress—iron spikes, windlass doors, and a view of the sound. But its warden faces a grim reality: no work for his prisoners.
- The Train They Hoped Would Stop: Spokane's Bid for the Last-Spike Spotlight
A mass meeting at Cannon's Hall appointed a committee to welcome President Villard's Northern Pacific excursion and make sure the editorial train lingered long enough to see the falls.
- The Burglar Who Ran: A Tacoma Woman’s Scream Saves the Day
When a thief tried to break into a South Tacoma home early yesterday morning, one resident’s quick thinking and loud voice turned the tables on the intruder.
- The Great Northern Railway Arrives in Spokane
After years of construction, the final spike connects Spokane to the Great Northern line, linking the city to the East.
- The Industrial Army Prepares to March on Washington
As unemployment spikes during the panic, Seattle's 'Industrial Army' plots to seize trains to reach the capital and force federal action.
- The Iron Cage of Fort Adams
A rare glimpse into the brutal security measures at a Washington Territory jail in the late 19th century.
- Hop Shortage Promises Record Prices for Farmers
A disappointing harvest in Western Washington valley regions leads growers to expect a massive spike in market prices.
- Spokane's Date with Destiny: Welcoming the Northern Pacific Railroad
The completion of the transcontinental line brings Henry Villard and hundreds of guests to Spokane Falls, promising a new era of growth and connection.
- The Milk Riots: How Seattle’s Dairymen Threatened to Spike Prices Over a Dog Ban
When the city council proposed banning pigs and limiting livestock to three cows per family, local dairy farmers didn't just complain—they warned that milk prices would skyrocket to 15 cents a quart.
- Eleven Oil Claims Filed Near Rattlesnake Gas Well
Prospectors scramble to file claims as geological interest in potential oil deposits spikes.
- Tragedy Strikes the Newcastle Coal Mine
A collapse of rock at the Newcastle mine resulted in the death of one miner and left another injured, just months after the victim's marriage.
- Seattle Braces for the 'Iron Spike' Celebration
Mayor and committees prepare for the arrival of Henry Villard and his entourage of Eastern journalists as the Northern Pacific railroad nears completion.
- A Railroad Feud in Whatcom
Citizens of Whatcom are up in arms after a railway company performs a bare-minimum, last-minute track laying to save their franchise.
- Life on the Construction Train
A reporter’s harrowing journey to the front lines of the Great Northern railroad expansion through the Skykomish Valley.
- Smallpox Fears Disrupt Trains and Border Crossings
As smallpox cases spiked in British Columbia, Seattleites feared the contagion was crossing the border via Indian canoes and passenger trains.
- Home Burglarized While Family Attends Church
A bold break-in at a Seattle residence highlights a spike in property crime.