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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1896 | 1 |
17 stories matching weir
- The Salmon Wars of Grays Harbor: How Indigenous Engineers Built a River-Scale Machine
Long before the white man’s mills choked the harbor, Native communities along the Quinault and Grays Harbor rivers operated sophisticated hydraulic traps that captured thousands of salmon—a feat of engineering described in 1890 as 'thrilling sport' yet vital to survival.
- The Statehouse Heist
A political mob forcibly seizes company records from a government official in a Spokane hotel room.
- A Machinist Committed to the Asylum
A perfectly rational machinist is sent to Steilacoom despite his protests, leaving behind a wife and child.
- The New Rules for the Ballot Box
A new election regulation threatens to disenfranchise candidates in remote areas, sparking fears of chaos in the upcoming vote.
- The Spanking That Became a Fugitive Hunt
Allen Weir says a child-discipline complaint in Olympia was magnified into a criminal manhunt — and he wants the public to hear his side.
- Guns at the Polls: Seattle’s First Ward Primary Erupts in a Street Brawl
Sheriff Woolery and saloon man John Considine tried to seize a Republican primary by arresting the election judges; Chief Rogers and his police fought back with warrants, clubs and drawn revolvers.
- Constitutional Convention Debates Tide Land Ownership
Delegates in Olympia weigh public versus private rights to Washington's valuable shorelines as the state prepares for entry into the Union.
- The Governor, the Corporations, and the Session He Wouldn't Call
A leaked cabinet meeting shows Governor Ferry weighing an extra legislative session against the wrath of corporations—and his own officials split over whether the state can wait.
- The $70,000 Rebellion: Olympia Refuses to Pay Its Railroad Bill
Northern Pacific missed its promised deadlines, so the citizens who pledged land and cash to bring the line to town decided the contract was void—and headed to court.
- A 'Godsend' on Fourth Street: Olympia's Mothers Furnish a Room to Keep the Boys Out of the Saloons
In a hard-times autumn, the women's auxiliary of the new Young Men's Christian Association canvassed the town for chairs, papers and games — and promised the doors at 406 Fourth Street would open December 1.
- The Last Rally: How Seattle’s Republicans Tried to Buy the Vote with Prima Donnas and Quartets
As election day approaches, the Republican party stages its final grand spectacle at the Armory, promising musical entertainment for ladies and a landslide victory for Frank D. Black over the 'mongrel' Populist ticket.
- Embezzlement Scandal Rocks Spokane Insurance Firm
The secretary of the Washington Farmers’ Industrial Insurance Company is accused of missing funds and chaotic bookkeeping.
- Twenty-Four Officers Wanted the Adjutant General Gone
A petition against Adjutant General O’Brien reached the governor, who refused to demand a resignation—prompting a theatrical outburst from Tacoma’s “Little Corporal.”
- An Early Exploration of the Quillehuyt River
James G. Swan documents his journey into the remote Quillehuyt River country, naming landmarks and describing the indigenous villages encountered.
- The Paper Blizzard That Ate Washington's Budget
A senate committee blames vague printing laws and verbose officials for a $52,000 deficit—and says thousands of reports are destined for the junk dealer.
- The Crumbling Capitol Gets a Patch-Up
As legislators prepare for the 1893 session, the barn-like structure in Olympia receives a new roof and a desperately needed expansion.
- The City That Wasn't: Port Townsend’s Bold Pitch to Steal Seattle’s Thunder
In January 1889, the Mayor of Port Townsend published a scathing list of 'facts' in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, arguing that his town was the true commercial heart of the Pacific Northwest while Seattle remained a mere backwater.
Also about this, in other words
- A Heartbreak by the Snohomish River
A lonely local man is caught in a 'melancholy case' of unrequited love, spending his days watering a hitching post in a lovestruck daze.
- The Rowing Invention That Changed the River
A Snohomish local debuts a mechanical rowing gear that allowed boaters to steer and power their craft with ease, signaling a shift in daily river navigation.
- A Perilous Crossing on the Slough
A mail carrier and his companion nearly drown after their boat capsizes while crossing a river slough.
- A Deadly Current on the Skykomish
A young man, already mourning a family tragedy, meets a fatal end after a rescue attempt turns into a river disaster.
- A Near-Fatal Timber Run on the Snohomish River
A monster raft of lumber hits a snag, threatening the lives of a crew of settler-families near Snohomish City.
- Ice Breaks: Two Young Men Drown in Snohomish River Tragedy
Horace Low and Arthur Butt, employees of the local newspaper office, lost their lives after ice gave way beneath them while skating on the river.
- A Frozen Narrow Escape on the Columbia
A young man breaks through the ice while crossing the river.
- Falling Log Crushes Andrew Gullen's Leg on the River
A tragic accident on the Snohomish River leaves a young logger struggling for survival, highlighting the brutal toll of frontier labor.