In 1872, Seattle council passed Ordinance 32 that outlined punishment for vagrants — the idle, dissolute, immoral, profligate, or the unemployed — by specifying that they could be put to work. Many offenses earned a sentence on the chain gang: Swearing, drunkenness, illegal gambling, patronizing prostitutes. But for many, the only offense was being poor.

People in Seattle often wonder: why did we wait so long for mass transit? Why don’t we have a central park? Why isn't this city more walkable? The answer: we voted against it. Seattle has a history of saying “no” to grand ideas.​

Seattle prides itself as a launchpad to the Space Age — but should Kent get the credit?

Bye-bye Red Delicious, there’s a new apple in town: the Cosmic Crisp. Growers are betting a new apple will reshape the apple market, one designed to be consumer, as well as grower, friendly.

If you think traffic is bad now, just imagine Seattle at the turn of the century: Cyclists, pedestrians, and an army of wagons all competed for space on the downtown streets. Then, along came the automobile. Knute Berger chronicles the car’s bumpy ride in early Seattle — and how it came to dominate the road.