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 |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 101 |
| 1883 | 537 |
| 1884 | 336 |
| 1885 | 624 |
| 1886 | 395 |
| 1887 | 350 |
2,343 stories
- The Great Land Grab Ends: Northern Pacific's Grip on Washington Territory Loosens
A landmark federal decision strips a massive railroad monopoly of its indemnity lands, opening vast swaths of Washington to homesteading settlers.
- Vigilantes Raid Chinese Miners in Black Diamond
A mob of armed, masked men forces Chinese laborers to flee their camp, marking a sharp escalation in regional anti-Chinese hostility.
- Federal Troops Arrive to Quell Anti-Chinese Agitation in Seattle
United States soldiers are deployed to maintain order amidst rising tensions, as the newspaper argues the law must be upheld against the ongoing intimidation of Chinese residents.
- The Trial of a Seattle Anti-Chinese Rioter
In 1885, a local judge delivers a blistering instruction to a jury, reminding them that the 'stranger and sojourner' are entitled to the equal protection of American law during a time of rampant xenophobic violence.
- The Year of Anti-Chinese Agitation in King County
An 1885 review looks back on a year marked by intense, organized efforts to drive Chinese laborers out of Seattle and the surrounding coal mining districts.
- A Massive Land Grab Stalled: Seattle’s Northern Pacific Victory
A pivotal decision in Washington Territory nullifies a $125,000,000 corporate claim on public land, forcing a reckoning for the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Siege of Seattle: A City Under Martial Law
After four days of intense unrest, the city maintains order and asserts its commitment to American law.
- The Great Land Grab Ends: A Victory for Columbia Valley Settlers
A landmark decision by the Land Commissioner threatens to reclaim 4 million acres from the Northern Pacific Railroad, potentially opening up vast swaths of the Columbia River Valley to homesteaders.
- The Territorial Militia's Role in Seattle's Anti-Chinese Riots
An editorial reflection on Governor Squire's use of armed citizen militias to enforce martial law during the 1886 expulsion of Seattle's Chinese population.
- A Plea Against Mob Violence
Prominent citizens petition Congress to protect the treaty rights of Chinese residents amidst a wave of xenophobic riots on the Pacific Coast.
- The Laundry War: When Seattle Tried to License Away the Chinese
A historic court battle reveals how the City Council once used 'discretionary' licensing to target Chinese-owned laundries, prompting a landmark defense of property rights and constitutional liberty.
- The Great Jury Debate: When Washington Women Fought for the Bench
A landmark 1888 legal dispute threatened to strip women of their newly won right to vote and serve as jurors in Washington Territory.
- The Plot to Overturn Women's Suffrage
A leaked political scheme from 1886 reveals a coordinated attempt by territorial Democrats to replace the judiciary and strip Washington women of their voting rights.
- The Trial of the Anti-Chinese Conspirators
A federal judge clarifies the legal bounds of anti-Chinese intimidation in King County, 1886.
- John Keane’s Campaign Embraces Anti-Chinese Violence
A political candidate faces scrutiny for his role in the 1885-86 expulsion movement.
- The Siege of Seattle: A City Born in Fire
Recalling the 1856 Indian War attack on Seattle, when a handful of settlers held their ground behind a blockhouse against a barrage of fire and shell.
- The Surprise Ballot: How Women Upended Seattle Politics in 1887
When Washington women were granted the vote, skeptics assumed they wouldn't use it—until they turned out in such force they shocked the political establishment.
- The Day Seattle Suffrage Died
A technical legal oversight by the Territorial Legislature has stripped women of their right to vote and serve on juries.
- Telegraph Operators Walk Out Nationwide in 1883
Across the nation and deep into the Pacific Northwest, 22,000 workers have walked off the job in a massive clash against the Western Union monopoly.
- The Great Seattle Streetcar Race
Two competing groups of prominent businessmen rush to City Council, proposing a sprawling network of cable and horse-drawn streetcars to reshape the city's growth.
- The First Grand Jury with Women Jurors
A landmark challenge to women's right to serve on a jury in Washington Territory sets the stage for the April District Court session.
- Northern Pacific's Land Claims Took Two-Thirds of Washington
A scathing critique of how the Northern Pacific Railroad manipulated maps and political influence to hoard millions in timber, coal, and agricultural lands.
- Northern Pacific Route Shifts Dispossessed Homesteaders
How the Northern Pacific Railroad manipulated government maps to seize millions of acres, crushing homesteaders in the process.
- Seattle's New Railroad Depot to Anchor Future Prosperity
City leaders anticipate that the construction of a grand new depot at the foot of Second Street will permanently shift the city's wholesale trade district.
- The Soldier Who Missed: Why Seattle Is Rooting for a Court-Martialed Hero
Sergeant Mason’s attempt to assassinate the man who killed Garfield has turned him from a mutineer into a martyr, sparking petitions and subscriptions across the Pacific Northwest.