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 |
|---|---|
| 1907 | 21 |
| 1908 | 187 |
| 1909 | 197 |
| 1910 | 107 |
512 stories
- Newport Fights for Promised Railroad Depot
Town officials and the Commercial Club push railroad commissioners to hold Great Northern to its agreement for a new depot, while the railroad refuses extra trains for the Fourth of July.
- Steel on the Grade: The I.W.N. Pushes North From Usk
Twelve carloads of steel arrived in Newport this week as the Idaho & Washington Northern extension resumed tracklaying, with a new station open at Usk and a tunnel still to finish at Blueslide.
- Surveyors Hunt a Mountain Pass for Newport’s Railroad Future
Great Northern surveyors reportedly found a low-grade route through the mountains, fueling hopes of a Newport–Chewelah cutoff and a rail boom across the Pend Oreille country.
- The Saloon Fight Moves to Court: Petition Signatures Challenged
A Valley saloonkeeper tries to block Pend Oreille County’s local-option election, claiming the petition lacks enough valid voters and that many signatures are not genuine.
- The Power Station That Bet on Newport’s Future
A Chicago engineer brings plans for a fireproof power station at Washington and Pine—and a 30-mile line meant to electrify Newport’s future.
- Miners Win Hearing Against Northern Pacific Land Grab
After the railroad tried to claim their properties, miners in the Marshall Lake district have secured a hearing before the General Land Office to prove the land is mineral-bearing.
- Vote Dry and Pay 45½ Mills: The Saloon-License Arithmetic of 1909
With $10,000 to $15,000 of street grading already on the books, an anonymous Newport property owner argues that local option on Sept. 7 would hand taxpayers a $3,890 hole in the town budget — and one of the heaviest levies in the county.
- The Drys Won Newport. Then They Built a Machine to Keep It.
A new Municipal League aims to protect the local-option victory—and the city hires counsel as opponents challenge the election in court.
- Stevens County Votes on the Saloon
A countywide local-option election on Nov. 9 will decide whether saloons can operate outside incorporated towns—and Newport voters must register at the I.W.N. station to be counted.
- A Broken Canthook, a Crushed Spine: Newport Logger Rushed to Spokane
Samuel McGeelies was loading logs for the Fidelity Lumber Co. when a second-tier log broke loose and struck him; he was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in critical condition.
- A Power Station to Light Newport
The Northern Idaho & Montana Power Co. is building a $15,000 fireproof office and substation at Washington and Pine, promising 24-hour electric service within ninety days.
- The Dry Fight Comes to Stevens County
Newport’s saloon case waits in Colville as ranchers outside town limits prepare to vote on county-wide liquor licenses.
- Newport's Saloonkeepers Take Their Dry-Election Fight to the State Supreme Court
The men who lost the local option vote on September 7 say the petition was short on valid signatures. Twice now the town's lawyers have knocked the case down in Judge Sullivan's court, and an appeal to the state supreme court looks certain.
- Newport Goes Dry on December 7 — and the Town Has to Refund the Saloons' Licenses
Local option, voted in September, shuts every saloon on the Washington side of the river next Tuesday. The council will borrow against the treasury to hand back about $900 in unearned license money, and warns bootleggers that blind pigs will be dealt with severely. Drinkers need only cross to Idaho.
- Newport’s Financial Crisis
Local banks refuse to honor city warrants, sparking a standoff between the town council and local saloon owners.
- The Birth of Ione
Stevens County commissioners officially certify the incorporation of the town of Ione following a successful local election.
- The Dry Wave Hits Stevens County
Voters mandate the closure of all saloons outside incorporated towns, forcing a major shift in local nightlife and commerce.
- Newport City Council Faces Financial Crisis
With only $130 in monthly tax revenue and $3,000 in outstanding warrants, the newly seated council struggles to keep the town afloat.
- The Grange Movement Sweeps Stevens County
State organizers are rapidly establishing local chapters to advocate for rural interests, good roads, and political reform.
- Newport’s Financial Reckoning
Facing a mounting deficit and unpaid warrants, the town council moves to put a bond measure before voters to keep the lights on.
- Newport’s Great Northern Depot Upgrade
Railroad officials confirm a $20,000 investment in a new station to accommodate the town's booming shipping industry.
- Ione Votes Itself Wet, and Builders Follow
In a 42-to-8 landslide, the Pend Oreille County town chose saloons over dry status—and local boosters said half a dozen business blocks depended on it.
- Ione's Editor Wants Stevens County Split — and Newport Can Have the Temporary Seat
As the Pend Oreille valley booms on the new I. & W. N. railroad, the Ione Record argues the east side deserves its own county, with a scrap to the finish over where the courthouse finally lands.
- The Valley Wants Out: East Stevens County Pushes to Split From Colville
Fed up with distant county government, Newport and Ione business leaders organize to carve a new county out of eastern Stevens County — and they're willing to let Newport hold the temporary courthouse, for now.
- Newport Depositors Keep Their Nerve During the Panic of 1907
When a local bank could not quickly turn loans into cash, Newport customers agreed to accept small payments and a stockholders' guarantee instead of starting a run—a display of confidence the Spokane Review called a model for the nation.