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 | 3 |
| 1889 | 14 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 30 |
| 1893 | 30 |
| 1894 | 31 |
| 1895 | 11 |
124 stories
- A Company Turns to Black Miners to Break the Roslyn Strike
With 165 Roslyn miners signing contracts to return, the Northern Pacific's manager admits importing Black laborers as a last resort — and promises to keep the number small.
- Bribery Allegations in Roslyn Mine Explosion Trial
A juror in a wrongful death suit claims he was offered $100 and a railroad pass to protect the Northern Pacific Coal Company from liability.
- The Price of Coal
Miners in Roslyn and Gilman strike against wage cuts, pointing to a race-to-the-bottom in labor costs driven by railroad contracts.
- The Hostage Crisis of the Teanaway Woods
A territorial dispute over two Japanese women in North Yakima turns violent, forcing a desperate appeal for help in Seattle.
- The Black Miners Who Came to Save Roslyn
In February 1885, a special train carrying 300 African American laborers from the East Coast arrived in Washington Territory to break a coal strike. Their arrival ended weeks of unrest and restored order to the struggling mining town.
- Rising from the Embers: Ellensburg's Rapid Rebirth
After a devastating fire consumed the heart of the city in July 1889, the community transformed from a charred wasteland into a brick-fronted city in just two months.
- The Roslyn Mine Disaster
A devastating gas explosion in Northern Pacific Coal Company's Mine No. 2 leaves dozens of families in mourning as the town of Roslyn turns its city hall into a temporary morgue.
- The Roslyn Mine Disaster: A City Rallies for the Bereaved
When an explosion ripped through the Roslyn coal mines in May 1892, Seattle’s civic leaders mobilized an immediate relief effort for the families left behind.
- Roslyn Coal Strike: Company Threatens to Import Black Strikebreakers
As the 1894 coal strike drags on, Roslyn miners refuse a 20 percent pay cut. The company’s answer: import Black workers from Chicago to break the union, a move that would reshape the town.
- Families Sue Mine Owners Over Roslyn Disaster
Massive litigation is underway following a deadly mine explosion, threatening the company with bankruptcy.
- The 'Bullpen' at the Roslyn Mines
When the Northern Pacific Railroad imported scab labor to break a strike in 1888, the local Democratic convention issued a blistering condemnation of the 'armed police' used to coerce workers.
- Seattle Rallies for the Orphans of Roslyn
Following a deadly mine explosion, Seattle citizens and workers mobilize a massive relief effort to aid the destitute families left behind in the company town.
- Gunfight in the Teanaway Basin
A sheriff's posse ambushes suspected bank robbers in the Cascades, sparking a mountain manhunt.
- The Bank Robbers of Roslyn
After terrorizing the region for months, a gang of cattle thieves and bank robbers is captured by a posse in the hills of Oregon.
- The Desert Blooms: Ellensburg's Massive Irrigation Project
A multi-million dollar canal project is set to transform thousands of acres of sagebrush into fertile farmland, signaling an era of prosperity for Kittitas Valley.
- The Bank That Rose from the Ruins
After the collapse of Ben E. Snipes Co.'s bank, depositors gather in Roslyn to weigh a plan for the institution's comeback.
- The Desperate Train Break to Walla Walla
A convicted prisoner attempts to escape his guards while being transported to the state penitentiary, triggering a tense standoff on a moving train.
- Miners Across the Nation Lay Down Their Tools
A massive, sweeping labor walkout arrives in the coal fields, with union leaders claiming over 130,000 workers have joined the protest against wage cuts.
- A Coal Company's Strikebreaker Gambit in Roslyn
A Northern Pacific manager admits the company is importing Black miners from the East to break the Roslyn coal strike—and hints the miners' refusal of a pay cut left him no choice.
- Roslyn Miners End a Three-Month Strike — and Return to the Pits at a 20 Percent Cut
After a bitter walkout against the Northern Pacific Coal Company, the miners of Roslyn vote almost unanimously to accept reduced wages and go back to work — a surrender that some say was hastened when a handful of Black miners from Franklin were brought in to take their places.
- The Gold in Swauk Creek — and the Railroad That Wanted the Ground Under It
Miners in Kittitas County had quietly pulled a fortune in placer gold from Swauk Creek for over a decade. When the Northern Pacific moved to patent the land, they finally went public with the numbers.
- Suspicion Follows Bank Collapse in Roslyn
Depositors in the coal mining town of Roslyn find their bank's assets mishandled, leading to calls for a receiver.
- Corporate Settlements After the Roslyn Mine Explosion
Following a court ruling against miners, the Northern Pacific Coal Company pivots to voluntary settlements with the families of those lost in a mining disaster.
- Smallpox Scare Triggers Camp Quarantine
Fear grips the Kittitas country as laborers flee a camp riddled with the 'dread malady' before authorities can secure a quarantine.
- Mining Conflict at the Swauk
Tensions rise in the Kittitas Valley as miners clash over labor practices and claim ownership.