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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1883 | 5 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 7 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 11 |
| 1893 | 17 |
| 1894 | 15 |
| 1895 | 17 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 2 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 6 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 6 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1915 | 6 |
| 1916 | 3 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
150 stories matching useless
- The Northern Pacific's Elusive Cascade Branch
A skeptical look at how the Northern Pacific Railroad tried to rebrand its lines to secure land grants in King County.
- The Beachcomber's Grim Find
A duck hunter discovers a severed foot on the shores of Useless Bay, leaving behind a mystery that would never be solved.
- The U.S. Navy’s Floating Picnic Basket
While Washington territory officials argued over naval procurement, one local paper questioned why the government was spending a fortune on a useless 'dispatch boat' better suited for parties than maritime defense.
- The Great Tacoma Water Flimflam
A look back at the 1890 council scandal that left the city with a mountain of debt and a useless water system.
- The Bear That Earned Its Salt
A traveling menagerie arrives in Pullman, offering a rare glimpse into the oddities of frontier entertainment and the community's skeptical gaze.
- The Milwaukee Road Sets Its Sights on the Pacific
A townsite agent confirms the expansion of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad to the coast following massive terminal land buys in Tacoma.
- The Thief With Two Left Feet
A burglar targeting a downtown clothing store learned the hard way that his loot was perfectly useless.
- Betrayal and Bloodshed on Whidbey Island
A ranching partnership ends in a fatal, cold-blooded ambush near Useless Bay.
- Fire Claims Barn and Livestock in Whitcomb
A blaze of unknown origin at the Washington Farm Lands company barn resulted in the loss of a horse, farm equipment, and a significant amount of alfalfa.
- The Unsavory Political Machine of 1888
A scorching editorial from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer calls for a purge of 'tricksters' and 'nasty fellows' within the Territorial Republican ranks.
- The Myth of Easy Prosperity
A Northern Pacific railroad superintendent tells local business leaders that a geographic location on the Columbia is useless without the infrastructure to back it up.
- Fireboat Failure at the Waterfront
Public outcry mounts after Seattle's fireboat fails to save the burning steamer Flyer, leading to a command shake-up.
- The Fire Safety Debate of 1904
Tacoma building owners argue that 'fireproof' construction renders fire escapes redundant, but city officials stand their ground.
- Uncle Sam Sells a Fort: Fort Townsend Is Set Adrift as Seattle Angles for the Garrison
President Cleveland approves transferring the old military reservation to the Interior Department for sale, clearing the way for a new post at Magnolia Bluff.
- The Desert Land Rush of 1903
Speculators and settlers stake claims in the arid sagebrush near Pasco, betting that irrigation will transform the wasteland into a garden.
- The Coal Land Bust and the Stranded Laborers
Speculative collapse leaves workers in 'rookeries' as a corporate empire fractures.
- The City That Slid Away: Seattle’s Front Street Disaster of 1876
As the city expands up its steep hills, a critical retaining wall on Front Street collapses under the weight of new development, leaving officials to wonder if Seattle is building itself into a disaster.
- The Depot Ticket Heist
A theft of transit tickets at the Yakima depot highlights the vulnerability of local agents to company policy.
- Bringing Water to the Okanogan
A new twenty-mile irrigation ditch promises to transform arid lands into fertile ground for hops and fruit.
- Spontaneous Combustion Narrowly Misses Seattle Disaster
A late-night fire at a dry goods store was quelled just in time, highlighting the hidden dangers of combustible materials in the wooden city.
- The Great Mill Street Wagon Prank
A local hotel runner learns the hard way that the boys of Mill Street have a penchant for mechanical mischief.
- The Campaign for Japanese Exclusion in Mukilteo
Everett labor organizers cite local industrial hiring practices as a threat to the American standard of living.
- The Trial of the Torture Chamber Dentist
A Seattle woman takes her dentist to court, claiming his efforts to fit a set of false teeth were physically abusive and useless.
- King County Lawmakers Want to Cut the Budget—and Railroad Rates
Ahead of the 1901 legislative session, King County’s representatives outline a shared agenda: slash state expenses, abolish useless commissions, lower railroad freight and passenger rates, and create a state grain inspector to protect farmers from brokers.
- Tacoma’s $1,000,000 Water Swindle
Citizens demand a grand jury investigation into the alleged theft of public water funds and the shady release of indemnity bonds.