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1. The Seattle Invention That Promised to Banish the 'Tremor' of Steamboats

   A local citizen trials a double-inclined plane water wheel on Lake Union, aiming to solve the vibration and loss of power plaguing the steam-powered era.

   Jan 8, 1872Puget Sound DispatchLake Union, Seattle, King County

2. The Great Earthquake of 1892

   A morning tremor rattles Central Washington, stirring memories of the catastrophic 1874 quakes that reshaped the Columbia River valley.

   Mar 3, 1892The Yakima HeraldYakima, Yakima CountyDisasters

3. The Science of Shuddering Earth

   A look at the nascent field of seismology and why the earth moves beneath our feet.

   Jan 22, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King County

4. The Great Snohomish Shake: A Tremor That Shook the Skykomish Valley

   Just after midnight on Thursday, a distinct earthquake rattled Snohomish, with heavier tremors felt in Northern Montana and Idaho.

   Jul 28, 1877The Northern StarSnohomish, Snohomish CountyStrange But True

5. The Railway Gold Rush: When Every Line Wanted a Piece of Seattle

   In 1890, Seattle was the ultimate prize for three competing transcontinental railroads, leading to a tangled mess of franchise wars, tide flat terminal deals, and high-stakes corporate maneuvering.

   Jan 1, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerRailroad Avenue, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

6. ‘You Are Hanging an Innocent Man’: A Condemned Killer’s Last Words Before 4,000 Witnesses

   Ezra Snoderly, one of the Cummins murderers, is hanged in Dayton’s courthouse square — insisting to the very end that he dies for another man’s crime, while the crowd judges him ‘game.’

   Aug 9, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerDayton, Columbia CountyTrue Crime

7. The Great Sound Earthquake

   A violent, multi-shock tremor sends Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett residents into the streets, rattling buildings and nerves across the Puget Sound region.

   Mar 17, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

8. An Earthquake Rumbles Across the Sound

   Tacoma residents feel the tremors of a quake that shook the coast from the Skagit River to Victoria, rattling skyscrapers and breaking ice.

   Jan 12, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

9. A Sunday Earthquake Rattles Olympia, Stopping Clocks and Startling Diners

   At 3:15 p.m. on Nov. 29, 1891, a sharp tremor shook the city, rattled windows, swayed chandeliers, and sent one hotel guest diving for the stairs.

   Nov 30, 1891The Olympia TribuneOlympia, Thurston CountyStrange But True

10. The Day the Earth Shook: Seattle Ship Launches Amidst Pacific Tremors

    While the bark Forest Queen was battered by an earthquake at sea, local shipwrights celebrated the launch of a new vessel in Port Ludlow, marking a moment of resilience and growth for Washington Territory.

    Sep 4, 1876The Daily IntelligencerPort Ludlow, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

11. The Secret in the Express Office

    A rough, sullen express worker's life is transformed when he uncovers a personal relic inside a lost package.

    Feb 5, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

12. City Hall Shaken by Earthquake

    Tacoma’s council meeting was thrown into disarray when an earthquake tremor sent officials scrambling for composure.

    Mar 17, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

13. A Shaking Coast: Earthquake Strikes Port Townsend

    Residents of the seaside town were startled late Wednesday night by a sharp, twenty-second seismic tremor.

    May 2, 1882Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

14. The Stray That Found a Home Amid the Earthquake

    When the great tremor rattled Seattle, a terrified stray pup fled for its life, only to find an unexpected new beginning in the city’s chaos.

    Jul 3, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

15. The Morning the Earth Shook in Seattle

    An unusually violent tremor rattles early risers in 1886, marking a moment of shared alarm in the developing town.

    May 5, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

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