Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine2 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 25 |
| 1891 | 177 |
| 1892 | 157 |
| 1893 | 112 |
| 1894 | 93 |
564 stories
- A Centennial Fight for Recognition
Local leaders urge the state to honor Captain Robert Gray’s discovery of Grays Harbor, fearing the legislature has sidelined local history in favor of the Chicago World's Fair.
- The Battle Over the Public Purse
A legal challenge threatens county infrastructure funding, exposing a rift over how the town calculates its own wealth and debt.
- The Necessity of Mercy: Aberdeen's First Hospital
Founded by the Dominican Sisters, the new St. Joseph's Hospital arrived just in time to treat the frequent, brutal injuries sustained by loggers and mill workers in the surrounding timber country.
- A Hospital Built for Industry’s Toll
How the Dominican Sisters established a critical medical lifeline for Aberdeen’s dangerous logging and mill works.
- City Wins Legal Battle Over Electric Rail
A court ruling forces developers to pay the city for failing to build a promised electric railway.
- Wishkah River Owners Take Harbor-Line Fight to Olympia
Local property owners and city leadership travel to Olympia to challenge the state land commission over restrictive harbor line regulations.
- Chehalis County Sues the Northern Pacific Over a Road It Says the Railroad Took
The county wants $12,000, charging the railroad with occupying the county road at Porter Creek bluff without providing an equally good replacement.
- The Tariff That Stung the Tin Can
As the McKinley Bill hikes duties on tin, local canners and hardware merchants brace for price shocks that will ripple through Aberdeen’s economy.
- The Price of Progress: Aberdeen’s 1890 Infrastructure Bond
Facing a massive backlog of bridge repairs and road construction, Chehalis County commissioners move to tax residents for a sweeping modernization plan.
- The Bridge That Wasn't: A Legal Battle Over Aberdeen’s Lifeline
In December 1890, a judge struck down the county commissioners' plan for the Heron Street bridge over the Wishkah River, forcing a redesign that would finally connect the east side of town.
- The Great Storm of 1891
A brutal coastal gale batters Grays Harbor, destroying the uncompleted Angell Brothers building and scattering ships across the coast.
- The Typhoon's Close Call
A delayed response from the fire department leaves a steamer gutted by fire in the Hoquiam River.
- The Struggle for Water in a Growing Town
As Aberdeen expands, the city council faces a mounting pressure to secure a reliable water supply before the dry season hits.
- The Smoke and Mirrors of Aberdeen's Variety Halls
A skeptical journalist pulls back the curtain on the 'Human Electricians' and fire-eaters captivating local audiences with chemical tricks.
- Aberdeen’s Five-Year Rise from Wilderness
A progress report from 1891 celebrating the rapid industrialization of a city carved from the virgin forest.
- Aberdeen’s New Gateway Across the Wishkah
Construction begins on a crucial Howe truss drawbridge to link Heron and Front Streets, signaling rapid urban growth.
- The Tragedy of Wynooche Charley
A local Indigenous man loses his life in a sudden accident at the Cosmopolis wharf, leaving the community to mourn a familiar figure.
- The Great Aberdeen Road Bond Fight
Prominent citizens spar over a controversial proposal to bond the county for roads, with critics labeling it a 'boomer' scheme.
- The Great Chehalis County Bond Battle
A heated debate erupts in the Aberdeen Herald over whether a half-million dollar road bond will actually build infrastructure or merely trap taxpayers in a cycle of debt.
- The Curious Case of the Jailbird Burglar
An enterprising thief escaped jail, went on a suburban burglary spree, and was promptly caught while trying to swipe silverware.
- The Ghost Ship in the Surf
A speculative salvage mission seeks to recover a fortune in iron rails from a shipwrecked vessel buried in the sand.
- The North End Industrial Boom
A new stone quarry and improved infrastructure are transforming the north end of Aberdeen.
- Aberdeen Pitched as Future Hub for Tannin Extract
A San Francisco representative scouts the Grays Harbor basin, eyeing the abundance of bark and labor as the keys to a new industrial empire.
- The New Frontier of Healing in Aberdeen
Dominican sisters establish a hospital to treat the frequent, hazardous accidents of the Grays Harbor logging industry.
- A River Mystery at Melbourne
A sunken boat and discarded bottles leave locals fearing for the lives of a party of revelers.