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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 4 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
36 stories matching surmis
- The Well in the Wenas
A local carpenter, suffering from the effects of alcohol, met a gruesome and solitary end after falling into a spring in the Wenas Valley.
- The Dogfish Oil Smuggling Ring
Federal authorities launch a crackdown on an illicit trade network that attempted to pass foreign-sourced dogfish oil as local Washington production.
- Railroad Monopoly Tightens Grip on Lumber
A newly formed 'Improvement Company' linked to the Northern Pacific Railroad establishes a monopoly over regional lumber trade.
- Smallpox Outbreak at Camp 10
An outbreak at a remote work camp reveals how easily infectious disease traveled through the region’s transit networks.
- Diver Dies in Tragic Salvage Attempt
A rescue operation to right the sunken Umatilla ends in a gruesome accident when a diver is found dead after a communication line fails.
- The Disappearance of James Goodwin
A cook vanishes from the steamer Yakima while en route from Snohomish to Seattle, leaving behind a mystery that leaves the local authorities puzzled.
- The Smooth Talker of Tacoma
A persuasive con man leaves a trail of bamboozled businessmen and empty wallets.
- The Berlin Building Burglary
A basement billiard room is hit for a few cigars and a handful of change after a thief hurls a rock through the front door.
- A Ship's Name-Board Washes Ashore 115 Miles From Where the Ivanhoe Went Down
A lighthouse keeper's wife finds the port quarter name-board of a lost coal freighter buried in the sand at Willapa Bay — and a Navy inspector uses the currents to argue the ship foundered far south of Cape Flattery.
- The Tragedy of Martin Ware
A quiet citizen driven to suicide by the relentless taunts and cruel pranks of his social circle.
- Fire Ravages Olympia’s Government Buildings
The Surveyor General’s office, the Land Office, and a historic church are destroyed in a devastating overnight blaze.
- Gould’s Shadow Over Seattle’s Rails
Speculation mounts as a new company launches to link Seattle to Walla Walla and Baker City, signaling a major power move by Jay Gould to claim Puget Sound as a rail terminal.
- A Boy Lost to the Mill Stream
A tragic accident at the dam leaves a family and a community in mourning.
- City Hall's Stolen Warrants
Nine hundred and ninety-nine blank city warrants vanish, raising fears of a massive forgery scheme involving city officials.
- The Logging Tragedy on the Duwamish
A young worker’s sudden death in the woods serves as a grim reminder of the perils facing early laborers in the Seattle territory.
- The Abduction of a Lighthouse Keeper's Son
A mysterious robbery at the Admiralty Head light station left a 16-year-old boy missing and officials suspecting passing opium smugglers or indigenous travelers.
- The Forger Who Bought His Freedom
A local man faces no legal consequences for check fraud after his wealthy connections settle the debt quietly.
- Children Buried Alive in Snow Slide
A faithful dog saves four children after a massive snow slide in Antelope Valley leaves them buried beneath the drifts.
- The Sudden Flight of Ballard's Prominent Citizen
A local businessman flees to Chicago, leaving unfinished projects and a cryptic telegram behind, out of a sensitive fear of public scandal.
- The Jury That Saw No News
Confined for ten days during the anti-Chinese riots of 1885, a sequestered jury was kept in the dark about the city’s upheaval—until they caught a stray remark about New York politics.
- The All-Night Waterfront Watch That Recovered Forty Stolen Boom Chains
Police lay in wait at the foot of Vine Street after a boat loaded with chains appeared in North Seattle. The trail led back to a Port Townsend mill and a second-hand dealer.
- The Blast at Mason Slip
A steam tug carrying three crew members is obliterated in a freak explosion on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Ferryman of the Dark River
An encounter on the waterfront reveals the quiet, lingering melancholy of a man reflecting on the 'old timey days' and the hard reality of post-slavery life.
- The Revenue Cutter Steward’s Opium Cache
A longtime employee of the U.S. revenue cutter 'Oliver Wolcott' is arrested for smuggling opium from British Columbia, exposing a decade-long secret life.
- The Firebug of North Walla Walla
A vigilante guard in the northern district botched a midnight stakeout for a suspected arsonist, leaving neighbors on edge.