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1. The Valley Sixty Miles From a Railroad

   In 1892, the Big Bottom settlers of Lewis County had no road, no sawmill and no rail line — just hand-hewn homes, packhorses, a tobacco-chewing cat, and a Fourth of July party for 160 neighbors.

   Jul 25, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMorton, Lewis CountyStrange But True

2. A Duel of Words in Olympia

   A simmering political feud between an old soldier and a newspaper editor erupts into a public challenge to settle scores in the streets.

   Nov 16, 1861Washington StandardOlympia, Thurston CountyScandal

3. The Political Price of Loyalty in 1861

   A fiery exchange between the Territorial Surveyor General and the local press highlights the intense suspicion of secessionist sympathizers in Washington Territory.

   Oct 5, 1861Washington StandardOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

4. The Loyalty Oath of a Washington Surveyor

   Public official James Tilton defends his reputation against accusations of secessionism during the onset of the Civil War.

   Nov 2, 1861Washington StandardOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Scandal

5. The Forgotten Hero: Major Granville Haller’s Fight Against Military Perjury

   After decades of distinguished service in the Mexican-American and Indian Wars, a decorated officer was summarily stripped of his rank based on a peer’s 'dreamed' accusation of disloyalty.

   Apr 13, 1878Puget Sound DispatchYakima River, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

6. The Ledger Went Into the Furnace

   A Tacoma courtroom heard how 94 company books were burned on orders from the assignee—while stockholders testified that minutes were falsified and $42,000 had vanished.

   Apr 20, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

7. The Secret Railroad Push for Tacoma’s Tideflats

   Speculators and insiders track the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad’s massive move to secure Tacoma’s waterfront for a new industrial empire.

   Jul 1, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

8. The Scandal That Shook Seattle: The Arrest of Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin

   In November 1872, two women were jailed for 'obscenity' after sending publications to a prominent broker. Their arrest sparked a frenzy in the young city, drawing crowds and highlighting the clash between radical feminism and Victorian morality.

   Nov 7, 1872Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyScandal

9. Vigilantes of the Big Bottom: A Land War in Lewis County

   When an aggressive claim jumper tried to terrorize a homesteader, twenty-five settlers organized a committee of order to run him out of the woods.

   Mar 31, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMineral, Lewis CountyFollow the Money

10. The $18,784 Express Package That Vanished—and the Sheriff Arrested for It

    A grand jury charged a Northern Pacific agent, a Franklin County sheriff and another man in a January 1894 express theft. The sheriff’s Ainsworth neighbors posted his bond—and doubted the charge.

    Jun 25, 1884Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerPasco, Franklin CountyTrue Crime

11. A Territory Mourns: Olympia Buries Charles H. Mason

    When Washington Territory's secretary and frequent acting governor died in 1859, Chief Justice McFadden and Olympia's leading men gathered at the capitol to call him a public servant 'of both soul and nerve.'

    Jul 29, 1859Puget Sound HeraldWashington State Capitol Historic District, OlympiaCity Hall

12. The City's Endless Bridge Troubles

    Tacoma's public works are stalled as city officials argue over shoddy materials and unfinished infrastructure.

    May 12, 1904The Tacoma TimesPuyallup River, Tacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall

13. Arthur Denny Recalls the 1865 Election

    Thirty years after his election to Congress, the Seattle pioneer reflects on a campaign defined by the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln.

    Jun 10, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

14. One Street, Eight Names: The Tide-Land Map That Broke Seattle's Addresses

    When the tide-land appraisers published their new plat, they named the filled waterfront after the states and the big cities — ignoring every street already on the ground. City Engineer Thomson's renaming scheme collapsed on the spot.

    Apr 12, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

15. The Great Migration to the Pacific Northwest

    An old pioneer of the Washington Territory returns from Iowa, leading a massive train of hundreds of wagons toward the growing settlements of the Puget Sound.

    Aug 9, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust

16. The Pioneer Race Through the Snoqualmie Pass

    Nineteen men embark on a daring expedition to map a route through the Cascade Mountains, seeking a passage where none had been found before.

    Oct 29, 1880The Daily IntelligencerNewcastle, King CountyBoom & Bust

17. A Sword for the Union

    A Washington Territory lieutenant publicly accepts a ceremonial sword and pledges his loyalty to the Union cause.

    Feb 28, 1863Washington StandardFort Walla Walla, Walla Walla, Walla Walla County

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