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1. Two Children Die After Eating Poisonous Wild Parsnips

   A tragic afternoon playing by a creek near Riverside leads to the fatal consumption of wild vegetation.

   Mar 21, 1924White Bluffs SpokesmanRiverside, Okanogan CountyDisasters

2. The 'Wild Man' of the Snoqualmie Valley

   For weeks, settlers between Seattle and Snoqualmie reported sightings of a mysterious, hair-covered creature in the woods, only for the enigma to be solved when a starving immigrant was discovered.

   Apr 13, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSnoqualmie, King CountyTrue Crime

3. Wild Goose Bill Meets His End in a Cattle Dispute

   The famed Big Bend pioneer and his assailant both die in a shootout at Condon's Ferry, twelve miles north of Wilbur.

   Jan 25, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilbur, Lincoln CountyLocal Legends

4. The Wild-Goose Chase to the 'Review'

   A cruel prank lures the coroner and police to a notorious house of ill-repute, only to find the 'victim' alive and well.

   Oct 23, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

5. The Tall Tale of 'Bluffier Ben'

   A boastful trapper spins wild, bloody yarns for free drinks in a Seattle saloon, leaving the barkeep to settle the tab.

   Sep 2, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyLocal Legends

6. The Dueling Tomcats: A Hunter’s Tale of Feline Fury in Spring Brook

   A local hunter witnesses a violent territorial battle between two male wildcats, fought over the affections of a female observer, before intervening with his shotgun.

   Mar 5, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSpring Brook, King CountyStrange But True

7. Olympia Celebrates the Turning Point of the Civil War

   Upon receiving news of Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the capital of Washington Territory erupted in days of wild, illuminated celebration.

   Jul 18, 1863Washington StandardOlympia, Thurston CountyStrange But True

8. The Faithful Guardian of the Foothills

   When two children wandered into the deep woods near Makama, they were saved from exposure and wild animals by a loyal family pet.

   Feb 10, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

9. The Flying Coupling: Engineer Shanno Chases Down a Runaway Locomotive

   When a detached engine tears toward Ellensburg, a quick-thinking engineer uncouples his own locomotive and catches the runaway on the fly.

   Oct 7, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentEllensburg, Kittitas CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

10. A Four-Day Escape into the Snoqualmie Wilderness

    Four Seattle men trade the monotony of office life for a rustic expedition into the King County woods.

    Jul 4, 1884Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSnoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie, King County

11. The Great Yakima Duck Caper

    A wild northern bird is lassoed in the middle of town by electric light, leading to a spectacle at the local hotel.

    Sep 17, 1891The Yakima HeraldYakima Avenue, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

12. The Wild Deer of Lake Washington

    As the fishing season wanes, local sportsmen find unexpected game within city limits as deer wander into the urban landscape.

    Nov 14, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerLake Washington, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

13. The Skagit Valley's Endless Harvest

    While the rest of the country faced the winter chill of 1891, gardeners in Skagit County were picking fresh blackberries and watching peas bloom in the open air.

    Jan 6, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerLyman, Skagit CountyStrange But True

14. The Wild Goose Chase of 1887

    Two con artists fleeced immigrant laborers in Seattle by selling them jobs on farms that did not exist.

    Apr 26, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay · True Crime

15. The Town's Sharpest Pen-War

    A local editor takes aim at a critic, claiming his rival is a man who has lived in Aberdeen for four years without working a day.

    May 24, 1894Aberdeen HeraldAberdeen, Grays Harbor CountyScandal

16. The Wild Runaway at Second and Cherry

    A frightened horse, tethered at a downtown corner, bolts through Seattle’s streets after a careless accident, sparking a wild chase through the business district.

    Jun 17, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSecond Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

17. Four Drown at Wild Goose Bill Ferry

    A ferry accident on the Columbia River leaves four men dead as their wives watch helplessly from the shore.

    Jun 25, 1909The Oroville Weekly GazetteWilbur, Lincoln CountyDisasters

18. Taming the Horse Heaven Plateau

    Deep-well drilling is transforming the wild, arid Horse Heaven hills into a new hub for large-scale cattle ranching.

    Jun 8, 1916The Kennewick Courier-ReporterHorse Heaven Hills, Kennewick, Benton CountyFollow the Money

19. The 'Wild Man' of Kearney Street

    A profile of Leonor Borcharts, known as 'Oofty Goofty,' a performer who made a living by enduring physical abuse for public entertainment.

    Jun 20, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyLocal Legends

20. Public Disorder at Third and Main

    A local man, fueled by liquor, faced municipal court after an aggressive display of affection toward women returning from a Salvation Army meeting.

    May 9, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King County

21. The Wild Cow That Ran Amok: Seattle’s First Public Menace

    A runaway bovine terrorized the streets of Pioneer Square before being shot dead, sparking a bizarre legal battle over who owned the carcass and whether rotten beef could be sold to unsuspecting diners.

    Jan 24, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

22. A Farmhand’s Violent Break in Eureka Flat

    After terrorizing his neighbors, a worker goes on a wild, clothes-tearing spree fueled by alcohol.

    Oct 9, 1903The Evening StatesmanEureka Flat, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

23. The Gold Fever Strikes Steilacoom

    A local citizen hits a pocket of gold, sparking a frantic rush among town residents.

    Apr 8, 1854Pioneer and DemocratFort Steilacoom, Steilacoom, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

24. The Hard Sell for Inland Empire Farms

    Spokane boosters and Kennewick business leaders draft a regional campaign to recruit farmers for 'untilled' lands, pivoting away from the era's wild land speculation.

    Jun 18, 1914The Kennewick Courier-ReporterKennewick, Benton CountyBoom & Bust

25. Seattle’s Wild Reaction to the Corbett-Sullivan Fight

    Thousands filled the streets and saloons as the underdog James J. Corbett defeated John L. Sullivan in twenty-one rounds.

    Sep 8, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSecond Street, Seattle, King CountyNightlife

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