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 |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 330 |
| 1889 | 821 |
| 1891 | 345 |
| 1892 | 1,428 |
| 1893 | 1,737 |
| 1894 | 1,323 |
| 1895 | 1,115 |
7,099 stories
- City Hall Corruption and the Great Bail Reduction
A dramatic day in court sees prominent figures accused in a city treasury scandal secure reduced bonds as the machinery of municipal justice grinds on.
- The Almshouse Graft Scandal
A grand jury report ignores blatant evidence of corruption in the construction of the county almshouse, sparking outrage among taxpayers.
- City and County Locked in Standoff Over Hospital Care
As bureaucratic disputes over hospital bills intensify, city officials warn that patients may soon be abandoned to the streets.
- The Bureaucratic Cruelty of City Hall
Seattle and King County's refusal to fund indigent care leaves a local hospital to carry the burden for destitute patients.
- The Shadow Over the Boston House
A Tacoman is arrested for the murder of an elderly Seattle woman, weaving a web of gambling, betrayal, and dark secrets.
- The Murder Suspect Who Demanded a Fair Shake
William A. Wilcox arrives in Seattle under arrest for a double murder, maintaining his innocence and complaining about the sensationalist press.
- The School Board's Hidden Books
A citizen's attempt to audit the Seattle Board of Education sparks a tense confrontation over transparency and the fear of a local 'poorhouse scandal.'
- The Brotherhood Challenges a Receiver's Firing Spree
Conductors from the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad sue for reinstatement, claiming their firing was a retaliatory, arbitrary act by a receiver ignoring labor contracts.
- The Evidence in the Wilcox Murder Case
A sensational preliminary hearing concludes with William A. Wilcox bound for superior court on charges of murdering Mrs. Felting in Seattle.
- The Forgotten General in the City Jail
A decorated Civil War veteran and Indian fighter finds himself destitute and seeking shelter in a Seattle prison.
- The Fremont Mill Canal Dispute
A local mill company is accused of blocking a natural waterway with piles and a building to manufacture a legal claim against the city's proposed ship canal.
- A Federal Judge Orders the Northern Pacific's Workers Not to Strike
With wages about to be cut, railroad receivers win an injunction forbidding engineers, firemen, trainmen and switchmen from combining or quitting—setting up a collision between the courts and organized labor.
- The Heroic Messenger Boy Who Met His End
A fourteen-year-old telegraph messenger faces a fatal operation with extraordinary courage, leaving behind a meticulous final accounting of his affairs.
- Seattle's Hunger Crisis of 1894
The City Mission details the exhausting labor of local charity work during the harsh winter, struggling to feed the 'destitute' while fending off public criticism.
- The Fight for the Immigrant Ballot
A Seattle contractor sues the City Clerk to challenge a restrictive 1893 registration law that threatened to disenfranchise foreign-born voters.
- Border officials block Chinese merchant entry
New federal regulations trigger a strict enforcement crackdown on Chinese residents returning to Seattle.
- A Close Call for a Young Girl
A man is held for trial after attempting to assault a girl at his cabin near the foot of Pike Street.
- The Political Sewer Job
City Hall prioritizes patronage and Democratic party loyalty over infrastructure, resulting in a disastrous street collapse.
- Seattle Longshoremen Fight to Save Their Union
Workers speak out against a Pacific Coast Steamship Company lockout intended to dismantle their collective bargaining power.
- The Abandonment of Ong Let
A Chinese domestic servant faces death alone in the hospital after his community fund dries up and authorities offer no help.
- Hard Times Force Railroads Toward a Monopoly
Financial desperation drives the competing lines of the Pacific Northwest to consider an end to expansion and a new era of joint operation.
- A Sewer Scheme Built on Incompetence
Citizens and taxpayers are calling out the city's reckless mismanagement of sewer construction projects downtown.
- Fatal Shooting at Franklin Coal Mine
A quarrel between roommates at the Franklin coal camp ends in a point-blank execution, leaving the community reeling and the assailant in custody.
- Seattle’s Sewer Scandal and the Mayor’s Failed Purge
Mayor J.T. Ronald’s attempt to remove members of the Board of Public Works over allegations of mismanagement and cronyism is blocked by an injunction.
- A Haven for Working Women
A newly opened, elegantly furnished hotel designed to provide safe, dignified housing for the city's growing workforce of stenographers, dressmakers, and clerks.