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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 12 |
| 1877 | 16 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 9 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 8 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 10 |
| 1892 | 45 |
| 1893 | 35 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 32 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 2 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 12 |
| 1904 | 17 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 16 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 6 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 2 |
328 stories matching surfac
- The Unlikely Swimmer of the San Juans
A stylish newcomer to the island society set shocks locals at the natatorium with a startling reveal about her supposed physical disability.
- The Perils of Over-Irrigation
Federal experts warn that excessive water usage is turning productive land into barren salt marshes.
- The Mystery of the Solid Rock Fish
Workers drilling a deep well near Ruston were shocked to find a live, pale fish emerge from 140 feet below the surface.
- Linking the Garden City to the River
Businessmen in Walla Walla look to dominate Columbia River trade by building a high-speed road and wharves at Wallula.
- The Dream of a Seattle Ship Canal
Proposals to link Lake Washington, Lake Union, and the Puget Sound via canals promised to unlock vast timber and coal riches, but the path forward remains a tangled mess of congressional bills and engineering hurdles.
- The Walla Walla Water Fiasco
A city committee braves a 'biting wind' to discover that their expensive new water development is just collecting surface runoff from irrigation ditches.
- The $20,000 Road Left to the Wind
Finley's Live Wire Sparks demand to know who maintains the new Kennewick-Finley road after the experts depart and oil over sand turns into ruts.
- The Original Miners: How Native Americans Discovered the Metaline's Lead Riches
Long before white prospectors staked claims, Indigenous people mined lead in the Metaline region to make bullets and slugs—and their ancient workings still dot the landscape.
- The Drunken Sea Lion of Olympia
An intoxicated 800-pound sea lion is captured after a bender on crude oil.
- Seattle’s Quest for Reliable Water
How a local reservoir project aims to secure a steady water supply for a growing city.
- A Dive Into the Black River, and Two Brothers Still at Sea
A young Swiss immigrant bathing at the Renton landing strikes a submerged snag and drowns — while his two brothers are aboard a ship from Europe, not yet knowing.
- The Street That Vanished into the Tide
A Seattle citizen recalls his lonely fight against a railroad company's takeover of Columbia Street, a legal battle that exposed the city's early history of corporate land giveaways.
- A Steamer Sinks in Olympia Harbor
High tides, thick fog, and unmarked obstructions lead to the disaster of the steamer Multnomah.
- The Salvage Diver of Elliott Bay
A local diver describes his successful, DIY operation to raise a sunken boiler from the depths of Puget Sound to sell for scrap.
- County Commission Defies Highway Commissioner on Local Roads
White Bluffs leaders successfully push to prioritize internal county roads over state-favored highway surfacing.
- The Petrified Frog of Newcastle
A geological curiosity unearthed 700 feet below the surface in a local coal mine.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Taps
As the city council hunts for a reliable water source, aggressive machinery lobbyists swarm City Hall, complicating the push for clean, deep-well water.
- Miners Plunge 70 Feet in Mine Shaft Accident
A broken signal wire leads to a terrifying fall for two miners working at the Oakdale coal mine near Franklin.
- The City Council’s High-Stakes Plumbing Fiasco
When Seattle hired a famed Eastern expert to redesign its city sewers, they ended up with a costly mess of mismatched theories and local engineering rebellion.
- Tragedy at the Tide Flats
A young worker perishes while seeking relief from the summer heat in Bellingham Bay.
- The Rising Well of Olympia
A local well is mysteriously emerging from the ground, brick by brick, defying gravity and logic.
- Tacoma’s Water Crisis: Livestock and Ducks Contaminating the City's Supply
While citizens face water shortages and lawn sprinkling bans, city officials grapple with a public health dilemma where contaminated surface water is routinely mixed with pure well water.
- The Scandalous Exit of Otto Wolff
A hotel proprietor flees to Washington state after reports of 'unnatural offenses' surface against him.
- An Indigenous Burial Site Unearthed on Commercial Street
Construction work in front of Mr. Amos Brown’s residence reveals human remains, highlighting the history of the land.
- A Sick Hospital for Seamen
Senator Squire intervenes as reports surface about the wretched, dilapidated state of the Port Townsend Marine Hospital.