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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
22 stories matching unimprov
- A Revolver at Her Ear: Mary Steel's Third Fight for a Divorce
Mary Steel's third divorce suit against David H. Steel laid bare a bitter fight over $49,000 in Seattle and Montana property—and allegations of violence, control and intimidation.
- The Town That Was Moved by Rail
When the Northern Pacific Railroad bypassed established Yakima City in favor of its own private land, it didn't just build a station—it forced an entire town to pack up and move.
- The Brutal Logic of Dispossession
Governor Newell’s biennial message advocates for the total dismantling of reservations in Washington Territory to prioritize white settlers' agricultural ambitions.
- The Opening of the Reservation
Court grants petition to subdivide and sell Indian minor heir allotments to white settlers.
- The 'Lazy' Reservation: A White Settler's Rant Against Indian Farming
In May 1877, a Seattle correspondent published a vitriolic letter in the *Intelligencer* challenging claims of Native agricultural success on the Suckley Reservation, arguing that federal land policies encouraged 'idleness' and demanding the lands be opened to white settlers.
- Seattle Cut Water Rates—Then Claimed the Lake
In one night at City Hall, the council trimmed water bills for every ratepayer and got legal cover to take Lake Washington water, even if it meant digging its own canal past a private company.
- The Tax Fight on Grays Harbor
Aberdeen taxpayers take on the state board of equalization, arguing that Chehalis County property assessments are unfairly inflated compared to the commissioner's home district.
- The Empty City: How a Housing Shortage Stalled Pullman’s Growth
In November 1888, the newspaper admits that 'there is not a vacant house, store, or room in town,' forcing potential residents to look elsewhere—a crisis of affordability and infrastructure that mirrors modern debates.
- Seattle's Schools Burst at the Seams as the City Booms
In 1893 the school board scrambles for classrooms, defends high-school education, and counts the cost of keeping up with a fast-growing city.
- Who Owns the Mud Beneath Smith Cove?
Seven King County men file claims on twenty acres apiece of Seattle tide flat, then protest the state's plan to fill and sell the same ground out from under them.
- The Struggle for North Yakima’s Beet Sugar Fields
Federal authorities authorize the leasing of Yakama Reservation land to a sugar beet corporation, setting strict conditions for tribal employment and long-term land improvements.
- The Pend d'Oreille Valley Sells Itself as the Next Fruit Country
A Spokane Chronicle report touted Stevens County fruit, $10-an-acre land, and a new railroad from Newport to the Metaline mines—and predicted a land rush.
- A Costly Court House Proposal
A local property owner attempts to pressure King County into buying his bluff-top lot for an exorbitant price, despite the site's clear logistical flaws.
- The Price of a Mile of Road
When a $12,000 road project near Prosser had to be torn up and rebuilt after only four years, Kennewick residents questioned the real cost of 'education' for county road planners.
- State-Funded Irrigation Settlement Wins Legislative Backing
After overcoming Senate opposition, state land settlement project secures $50,000 in funding as settlers express guarded optimism about the program's future.
- A Drunken Man, a Barren Tract and a Race to Freeze the Money
A Tacoma guardian says Frank and Mamie Aylwin plied George Ward with liquor and sold him nearly worthless land; a judge orders the proceeds held.
- The Fight Against Unfair Tax Assessments
Prominent taxpayers petition the State Board of Equalization, claiming Chehalis County is being squeezed for more than its fair share of state taxes.
- A Divorce Suit Exposes Brutality—and a Fight Over the House
Mary C. Fisher accused her husband of choking her and tearing her clothes in front of her daughter; she asked the court for a divorce, the house and all the property.
- A Salt Maker, a Sanitarium and the Fight for Medical Lake's Shore
A Chicago syndicate's $75,000 health resort ran into one stubborn lakefront owner—and a forgotten town plat that threatened to erase his claim entirely.
- Minnesota Money Fences 4,517 Acres of Douglas County
Outside investors buy a raw tract between Krupp and Irby, planning 1,500 acres of wheat and a blooded cattle operation.
- The Struggle for Home Ownership in Early Seattle
An 1877 editorial argues that the city's growth is being stifled by speculative land hoarding, keeping affordable homes out of reach for the working class.
- The Promised Land on Puget Sound
An 1878 booster letter to the Midwest paints a portrait of Washington Territory as a temperate, fertile frontier where anyone willing to work a log house could find independence.