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Category: Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection

The General Dullness Was Relieved– Two-Fisted Politics in Walla Walla

The General Dullness Was Relieved– Two-Fisted Politics in Walla Walla

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: The General Dullness Was Relieved– Two-Fisted Politics in Walla Walla From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: This January 27, 1872 article from the Walla Walla Union demonstrates Washington Territory was indeed part of the rough and ready Old West when it came to journalism and politics. The writer for the Republican paper is obviously enjoying the beating his rival, the editor of the…

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The Dark Side of Prohibition

The Dark Side of Prohibition

City Attorney F.A. Kern From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: When the following jokey editorial in The Ellensburg Capital was printed June 23, 1921, the 6-year old statewide experiment in Prohibition was clearly not being taken seriously. But a dark side to this light-hearted attitude later engulfed two individuals mentioned in this opinion piece:  AH, HA! THE SECRET IS NO LONGER A SECRET! WHO IS SELLING LIQUOR?  “Listen, dear reader: It…

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James Fitzgerald, the Human Ostrich

James Fitzgerald, the Human Ostrich

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: James Fitzgerald, the Human Ostrich From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: “No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” I was reminded of this quote from the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance after breezing through several old newspaper articles regarding the life and adventures of James Fitzgerald, who was known on both sides of…

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The Civil War’s Youngest Soldier

The Civil War’s Youngest Soldier

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: The Civil War’s Youngest Soldier Although this article was found entirely at random, I do have some history with this case. So some of the information was already filed away at home, but I could’ve easily found it here at the Washington State Library if I wanted to invest some time researching. The newspaper in Montesano, Washington known today as The Vidette has a long genealogy of titles going all the way…

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Saloons Only Serve the Worst Appetites of Men

Saloons Only Serve the Worst Appetites of Men

  From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Found at random in The Journal (Burlington, Washington), Sept. 27, 1900, page 1, top of the fold: Another Saloon “The question of another saloon in Burlington has been quite freely discussed among our citizens during the past week, since it had been reported that property had been purchased and arrangements made for the establishment of another liquor dispensary. From all that can be learned…

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Illegal Booze at Wellington

Illegal Booze at Wellington

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Found in The Seattle Telegraph, Nov. 13, 1894, p. 8: THE COUNTY BOUNDARY  Twelve Men in Judge Humes’ Court Define It.  ILLEGAL WHISKEY TRAFFIC  Defendants Take Refuge Behind Technical Bulwark and Escape Penalty for Their Crimes — Some Groundless Fear That the Verdict May Affect the Election Count of Martin Creek and Wellington.  “A jury in Judge Humes’ court yesterday acquitted Pat Cunningham of the…

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Grant County Goes From Abraham, Lincoln to George, Washington

Grant County Goes From Abraham, Lincoln to George, Washington

 From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Wilson Creek, a small settlement in east central Grant County had a newspaper called Wilson Creek World. It ran from 1907-1943, and WSL has issues from 1913-1938 available on microfilm (which you can request on interlibrary loan). The Wilson Creek World contained mostly agricultural and local social news. At the head of the title you can find the motto: “The Land of Diversified Farming :…

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Transplanting the Capital Campus to Tacoma

Transplanting the Capital Campus to Tacoma

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Although this article found on page 3 of the Feb. 24, 1905 issue of The Marysville Globe wasn’t exactly local in nature, it had the potential to have a local impact.  Plus it was interesting. So I decided to track down the story behind the story. By 1905 Washington State was a decade and a half old. Olympia had already survived numerous attempts to be…

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“The snidest attempts at a show we have yet seen.”

“The snidest attempts at a show we have yet seen.”

  From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: This rather biting review of a circus appeared in the Stevens County Reveille, June 28, 1900, page 3: That Circus, Saturday “The circus came, conquered, and ‘went,’ as circuses usually do; the richer, perhaps, by a few dollars from Colville and surrounding country, but not sufficiently so to give the proprietors any large attack of ‘fat pocketbook.’ There was quite a crowd in town…

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Pranky Frankie

Pranky Frankie

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: The following article was found on page 1 of the April 7, 1905 issue of The Weekly Commoner, a newspaper in Colfax, Washington: A NOVEL PARTY  Colfax Ladies Turned an April Fool Joke “One of the most novel and amusing parties in the history of Colfax was held last week at the residence of Mrs. Leon Kuhn, and thereby hangs a tale. Mrs. Kuhn had…

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