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 |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 8 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 39 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 19 |
| 1892 | 44 |
| 1893 | 30 |
| 1894 | 31 |
| 1895 | 11 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 13 |
| 1903 | 7 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 5 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1923 | 8 |
| 1924 | 12 |
| 1925 | 3 |
21 stories
- Fifteen Believed Dead After Gas Blast Turns Roslyn Mine Shaft Into a Furnace
A Sunday explosion at the Northwestern Improvement Company’s Mine No. 4 ignites a roaring underground fire, cuts off pumps and water, and threatens Washington’s coal supply.
- Tragedy at Cle Elum: Twelve Tons of Dynamite Explode
A catastrophic explosion at a mining magazine claims multiple lives, including a former Lynden pioneer.
- The Water Wars: Irrigation Company Agents Arrested for Sabotage
A desperate battle over water rights in the Yakima Valley turned explosive when engineers were caught dynamiting a rival company's dam.
- A Violent Toll on the Frontier
Two separate, brutal robbery attempts in Cle Elum and Toppenish leave a farmer beaten and a laborer fighting for his life.
- A Final Journey: Indigenous Travelers Bury a Kin in Ellensburg
Four travelers journeyed 35 miles by wagon to ensure a Christian burial for a woman who passed away on the banks of the Columbia River.
- The Desert Awakens in Kittitas
A massive engineering feat to bring water to 15,000 acres, bankrolled by local Ellensburg businessmen.
- Tragedy on the Yakima River Line
A Northern Pacific train derails near Bristol, claiming the lives of a Tacoma engineer and fireman.
- Coal Miner Seeks Redress for Mine Blast
A worker injured in a Roslyn coal mine explosion files suit against the Northwestern Improvement Company for $10,000.
- A Private Canal Scheme Tries to Put a Tollbooth on the Yakima's Water
A state land commissioner warns that a canal company wants to control a lake north of Ellensburg and charge every future Yakima canal for passage.
- The Sheriff Who Shot a Convict: A Wenatchee Neighbor’s Defense of Deadly Force
In July 1905, just days after a chaotic manhunt in Ellensburg, local residents weighed in on the ethics of Sheriff Thomas shooting an escaped convict. One guard called it 'right,' while others questioned the necessity—echoing modern debates over police accountability.
- Train Derailment in Stampede Tunnel
A sudden movement by a helper engine caused a derailment, halting Northern Pacific traffic through the mountains.
- The Mysterious Woman Passing Forged Checks
A woman allegedly defrauded five Ellensburg businesses using stolen identities before vanishing.
- The Woman With the Little Girl and the Worthless Checks
A forger calling herself Myra F. Parker worked Ellensburg shopkeepers with small purchases and big checks, then vanished into a Northwest-wide manhunt.
- The High Cost of the Short Haul
Northern Pacific updates freight tariffs, sparking debate on the economics of farm-to-rail transport.
- The Battle for the Cascades
The Northern Pacific Railroad moves to cut costs and tighten its grip on the Inland Empire wheat trade with a massive new tunnel project.
- The Political Legacy of 'Dad' Sharp
As a prominent Kittitas County senator falls gravely ill, the region reflects on his long career in territorial and state politics.
- The Eligibility Crisis in Kittitas County
A local editor denounces a Superior Court judge for granting citizenship to dozens of foreigners who could not speak English.
- The Flying Coupling: Engineer Shanno Chases Down a Runaway Locomotive
When a detached engine tears toward Ellensburg, a quick-thinking engineer uncouples his own locomotive and catches the runaway on the fly.
- The Janitor Who Foiled a Ten-Man Jailbreak in Ellensburg
Prisoners had almost tunneled out of the county jail when a janitor sleeping in the sheriff's office heard the scraping—and made a promise they believed.
- A Fatal Shot in Ellensburg: Adopted Son Killed, Mrs. Norris Takes Poison
Mrs. J. C. Norris shot 21-year-old Thomas Murray in the temple, then swallowed rat poison and told callers she was glad of it.
- Dynamite, Bloodhounds, and a Vanishing Safe Job in Kittitas
Two tramps blow open a creamery safe, rifle the contents, and elude bloodhounds by catching a train at a rural siding.