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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 |
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| 1879 | 1 |
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115 stories matching substanc
- The Great Moss Panic of 1878
Seattle's early city council once declared war on rooftop greenery to prevent the city from burning down.
- Seattle's Sewers Were Cracking All Over Town — and the City Engineer Blamed the Dirt
A furious letter writer insists the pipes broke not from 'percussion' but from the very worst kind of trench work — and points the finger straight at the man in charge.
- The Rotting Jaw: Labor’s Fight Against Deadly Phosphorus
Workers in American match factories face a horrific, disfiguring illness while the government debates banning the white phosphorus that causes it.
- The City’s Campaign Against ‘Swill Milk’
A new Seattle ordinance cracks down on impure milk production and the use of 'distillery waste' as feed.
- The Cold Creek Oil Rush
After an artesian well drilling project in Cold Creek reveals a strange, oil-like substance, prospectors are scrambling to secure land leases in anticipation of a massive boom.
- The Rare Earth That Could Take On the Powder Trust
A deposit near Blue Creek is promoted as a safer, cheaper ingredient for blasting powder—and as a way to loosen DuPont’s grip on the explosives trade.
- The Trial of the 'Squak Valley' Vigilantes
In a tense courtroom session in 1885, a defendant stands trial for the murder of a Chinese laborer, exposing the brutal reality of anti-immigrant violence in Washington Territory.
- The Secretary Asks the Puyallups Whether They Are Fit to Hold Their Own Land
Interior Secretary John W. Noble met 200 Puyallup people on the reservation and promised to carry their wish to sell to President Harrison — after satisfying himself that they could be trusted with the money.
- A Captain Tries Twice to Die—and Walks Home
Capt. Alfred Garton took morphine, then a bullet, in an Occidental Hotel room. Both failed, and his letter blamed a fortune in real estate that no one would buy.
- The Day the Supreme Court Barred Seattle Women from the Ballot Box
In a pivotal 1888 ruling, the Washington Territorial Supreme Court officially disenfranchised women, setting the stage for a decades-long fight for political agency.
- The Trial of the Anti-Chinese Conspirators
A federal judge clarifies the legal bounds of anti-Chinese intimidation in King County, 1886.
- The Price of a Homeland: One Cow, One Wagon, One Plough
Chief Moses and his delegation come home through Spokane Falls with the government's terms in hand: surrender the country, remove to the Colville reservation, and be paid out in oxen, harness and farm tools.
- The Judge Who Played Faro: Port Townsend’s Bar Association Moves to Impeach Morris Sachs
In a stunning display of civic outrage, local attorneys and property owners present sworn affidavits to the state legislature alleging that Superior Court Judge Morris B. Sachs regularly gambled on illegal faro games and prejudged cases before hearing them.
- A Missing Man, a Dead Wife, and a Sewing Machine Full of Money
Joseph Von Lingenau vanished after his wife died in childbirth. His friends fear murder; his neighbors remember a man coming apart.
- A Mayor Suspends His Fire Commissioner—and a Firehouse Scandal Erupts
Mayor Phelps removed Commissioner George T. Masel amid a fight over Chief Allen and a teenage girl's allegation against a fireman at department headquarters.
- Mukilteo Workers Refuse Japanese Labor
A town committee clashes with the Crown Mill company over the employment of Japanese workers, signaling rising anti-immigrant tensions in the region.
- Veteran Accused of Misappropriating Relief Funds
A former commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in Tacoma faces court-martial over allegations that he pocketed money intended for indigent soldiers.
- The Human Cargo of the 'Wolcott'
A government customs vessel intercepts a fishing boat off Smith Island, revealing a harrowing attempt to smuggle nine men into Seattle.
- The Eight-Hour War: Seattle’s Labor Law Hits a Legal Wall
As the state’s landmark eight-hour workday law takes effect, prosecutors and judges clash over whether it applies to private contractors like the Pacific Bridge Company, leaving workers in limbo.
- A Deadly Jealousy in Pioneer Seattle
A brutal double murder on a quiet morning reveals the fragility of domestic peace in 1885 Seattle.
- The Struggle for the Soil
A lobbyist’s plea from Washington, D.C., urges Seattle and Eastern Washington to unite against the Northern Pacific Railroad's land grab.
- Seattle’s Yesler Donation Claim Goes on the Auction Block
An administrator petitions to carve 86 lots out of Sarah B. Yesler’s donation claim to settle an estate drowning in debt and taxes.
- The Tragedy of Tommy Lake
A young boy drowns in the tide-swept mudflats of Ballard, marking a devastating loss for a local family.
- Police Raid Hoquiam Opium Den
Local authorities target the Chinese community in a sweep for illicit substances.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Considers a New Aberdeen Depot
After hosting railroad officials for a dinner at the Pacific Hotel, Aberdeen boosters feel confident about the city's future rail expansion.