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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1862 | 7 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1876 | 43 |
| 1877 | 26 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 20 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 20 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 6 |
| 1888 | 22 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 8 |
| 1892 | 47 |
| 1893 | 63 |
| 1894 | 37 |
| 1895 | 34 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 8 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 3 |
| 1912 | 1 |
399 stories
- Camp Kelpie: A Seattle Hunting Party in the Last Great Bear Country
In 1895, Seattle sportsmen pitched camp on Hood Canal between the Duckabush and Hamma Hamma rivers and found a wilderness thick with black bear, salmon, and one very unlucky tenderfoot.
- The Meteor That Set a Lagoon Boiling
A blazing object fell from the sky over Chimacum, terrified Jefferson County farmers who thought the world was ending, and left a lagoon bubbling hot enough to cook eggs hours later.
- Puget Sound Fleet Hit with Heavy Fines
Sixteen steamships were penalized $750 each for failing to carry adequate life-saving equipment, according to the Collector of Customs.
- The Hidden Marriage of Port Townsend
A prominent local pharmacist faces a divorce suit for a marriage his community never knew existed.
- The Smuggler's Hold in Port Townsend
A US Customs inspection reveals a secret cargo of sugar and pork, risking vessel forfeiture and perjury charges.
- Fifteen Stowaways Discovered in Hyades Cargo Hold
After two weeks at sea, a search of the steamship Hyades revealed fifteen Japanese stowaways hiding among the freight.
- City Council Faces Voter Backlash
Everett council members are accused of ignoring neighborhood ward clubs and killing a streetcar ordinance, a move that may seal their political fate.
- Steamship Tremont Collides in Heavy Fog
Dense fog leads to a collision near Marrowstone Point, stalling a major freighter's Pacific voyage.
- Raising the Warhawk from the Depths
A complex maritime engineering feat underway at Port Discovery to salvage a sunken vessel.
- Fire Company Disbands, Leaving Town Unprotected
The Rescoe Engine Co. folds in Port Townsend, sparking local fears about fire safety and a desperate hope for a new steam engine.
- The Waterfront Pilotage Fight
Shipping interests and commissioners clash over proposed compulsory pilotage laws on Puget Sound.
- The Final Voyage of the James Cheston
The ship had a storied past, including a journey across the Atlantic while rudderless and half-submerged.
- The Soldier and the Elopement
Despite her father's protestations, young Lillie Bolton elopes with a recently discharged soldier, sparking a threat of imprisonment from her veteran father.
- A domestic tragedy in Port Townsend
A young woman, suffering from deep despondency and fear of her relatives, takes her own life in her home while her children are away.
- The Diamond Watch in the Woods
A hunter discovers the remains of a missing San Francisco liquor merchant in the brush near Port Townsend, ending a long mystery.
- Destitute Miners Return from the Yukon
A naval vessel brings news of the Yukon gold rush: a few striking it rich while many others return empty-handed.
- A Question of Sanity and Secrets in Port Townsend
A high-stakes insanity trial hinges on medical testimony and a mysterious tin box rumored to contain exonerating evidence.
- Fire Threatens to Move the Marine Hospital
A devastating fire at the marine hospital in Port Townsend sparks fears that the facility for disabled seamen will be permanently moved to Seattle.
- The Customs Feud That Fired on a Chilean Bark
A Chilean vessel left Tacoma without clearance and was chased by a U.S. revenue cutter in Puget Sound—an international incident sparked by jealousy between Chile's local representatives.
- Port Townsend Refused to Help Seattle Dig Its Canal—Washington Still Paid for It
A Port Townsend meeting cheered resolutions against the 'Seattle ditch,' even as Congress was appropriating $100,000 to begin work on the canal.
- The Music-Hall Queen and Her Contract Husband
A Port Townsend performer known as "Shiner" says she will sue Frederick Macondray for divorce, brandishing love letters signed "My Dear Little Kid" and a marriage contract struck on Puget Sound.
- The Resolution They Had to Strike: A Port Townsend Convention and the Warrant-Forgery Fight
Jefferson County Republicans convened in Port Townsend, then recoiled when a platform resolution praised the prosecutor who had refused to pursue forgery charges against county warrant endorsers.
- Twelve Days in Jail for a Drunken Woman—and the Men Who Walked Free
A Port Townsend letter protests a double standard after a woman is locked up for disorderly drinking while the town's inebriated men go unpunished.
- The Ship That Could Be Scraped With Fingernails
A Port Townsend jury acquitted a sailor who refused duty on the bark Caroline Reed after the vessel was shown to be dangerously rotten.
- A Grand New Hotel Rises on Port Townsend's Waterfront
A three-story block with a saloon, reading room, and thirty sleeping rooms opens at Water and Washington streets—a brick-and-mortar bet on the town's future.