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1. The Nerve-Wracking Election of 1876

   As Seattle waited on the results of a razor-thin presidential race, telegraph wires buzzed with conflicting claims that would eventually decide the future of the nation.

   Nov 9, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

2. The Election Week Hangover

   A Seattle saloon keeper closes shop to avoid brawls as partisan fever turns his establishment into a battleground.

   Dec 18, 1876The Daily IntelligencerMain Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

3. The Missing Will That Would Have Given Seattle a Library

   Henry Yesler's widow and two doctors are arrested, accused of burning a will that left the pioneer's fortune—and his mansion—to the city.

   Jan 27, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

4. The Funeral Pyre of Justice: Seattle Burns Its Gambling Den

   As the Territorial Grand Jury demands a sewer system and a new jail, Sheriff Cochrane immolates tons of gambling paraphernalia on a public bonfire, while Judge Burke condemns saloon keepers to revoke their licenses.

   Mar 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

5. The Centennial Fourth: Seattle's 1876 Celebration

   On the eve of the nation's hundredth birthday, Seattle grapples with patriotic fervor, civic fire safety, and a growing political divide.

   Jul 3, 1876The Daily IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall

6. The Territorial Governor’s Malice: A False Rumor of Corruption Exposed

   In June 1876, the *Puget Sound Dispatch* launches a fierce defense of Washington Territory Governor William H. Wallace against a malicious slander campaign claiming he was embezzling public funds.

   Jun 24, 1876Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

7. The Unsettled Presidency of 1876

   As the nation grappled with a deadlocked electoral count in the Hayes-Tilden election, Seattle residents read a deep-dive analysis of the constitutional chaos and the risk of a political breakdown.

   Dec 2, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

8. The Brawling Reformers of Snohomish

   A satirical account of a local political meeting that devolved from religious indignation into a drunken saloon brawl.

   Nov 18, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

9. The Great Seattle Gamblers' Bailout: How the City's Elite Let Off the Hook

   In a crowded courtroom, dozens of men accused of running illegal gambling rings were released on massive bonds, while the sheriff’s office scrambled to account for thousands in cash.

   Jan 15, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

10. A Night Out, A Forgotten Medical Crisis

    A husband’s late-night obsession with the contentious 1876 presidential election nearly costs his wife her life.

    Dec 23, 1876The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

11. The Midnight Memory Lapse of a Seattle Husband

    A husband’s errand to the druggist turns into a long, forgetful night at the local saloon, until a sudden telegraph dispatch snaps him back to reality.

    Mar 21, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

12. The Unsettled Nation: Seattle Watches the 1876 Election Crisis

    While the nation held its breath over a deadlocked presidential contest, Seattle locals turned their eyes toward the local ballot, formalizing the region's nascent civic infrastructure.

    Nov 13, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

13. The Election of 1876: When Seattle Held Its Breath

    As the U.S. Congress deadlocked over the disputed Hayes-Tilden election, the frontier town of Seattle processed the national anxiety through the lens of political 'vultures' and the hope for a peaceful transition.

    Jan 29, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

14. The Political Gossip That Almost Toppled a Judge

    In an era of vicious party-line journalism, a Seattle editor defends his local officials against accusations of being 'copper-heads' and 'carpet-baggers,' echoing today’s heated partisan discourse.

    Jan 12, 1878Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

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