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 |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 3 |
| 1858 | 13 |
| 1859 | 27 |
| 1860 | 6 |
| 1861 | 6 |
| 1863 | 5 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 11 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 12 |
| 1879 | 5 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 56 |
| 1884 | 25 |
| 1885 | 43 |
| 1886 | 26 |
| 1887 | 70 |
| 1888 | 34 |
| 1889 | 76 |
| 1890 | 6 |
| 1891 | 48 |
| 1892 | 267 |
| 1893 | 263 |
| 1894 | 243 |
| 1895 | 182 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 30 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 64 |
| 1904 | 848 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 758 |
| 1910 | 5 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1916 | 9 |
| 1917 | 5 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 2 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 1 |
17 stories
- First Oregon Cavalry Calls for 100 Volunteers
The Oregon Cavalry seeks 100 recruits to protect immigrants and secure the frontier.
- Vigilante Justice Claims a Life in Steilacoom
A cattle dispute turns into a fatal shooting, followed by a mob storming the jail to execute the prisoner.
- A Brutal Murder on the Trail to Fort Steilacoom
A soldier is found dead after a violent altercation involving multiple men, leaving the community in shock.
- Vigilante Justice Follows the Murder of a Pierce County Leader
A mass-meeting in Steilacoom formalizes the community's outrage over the vigilante killing of a citizen-slayer, reflecting deep distrust in the local courts.
- A Blockhouse, a Murder, and a Rumor of War
After a killing on the Snohomish, settlers in the Puyallup Valley put their families in a blockhouse. One farmer rode out to look for signs of an uprising—and found none.
- A Territorial Power Struggle
A scathing critique of the Acting Governor's unilateral removal of a Capitol Commissioner.
- A Violent Encounter at the Ferry
A routine trip to the ferry turned into a violent confrontation when a man lying in wait attacked a local resident.
- The Land Company That Claimed Puget Sound — and the Settlers Who Fought Back
A federal surveyor's report from Olympia questioned the sprawling British land claims around Steilacoom and Fort Steilacoom, siding with American settlers who had built farms inside the company's alleged grant.
- Call for Cavalry to Combat Snake Indians
Recruitment begins in Olympia for a regiment tasked with patrolling the frontier against the Snake Indians.
- A Polite Political Rivalry
Despite the heated competition between the Democratic and People's tickets in Steilacoom, voters maintained a surprising level of civility.
- Oregon Cavalry Calls for Volunteers to Fight in Washington Territory
A recruitment notice for the First Regiment of Oregon Cavalry, seeking 100 men for duty on the frontier to combat the 'Snake Indians.'
- The Case of the Missing Boarder
A Steilacoom landlady finds herself in a tangle of confusion when a new arrival is mistaken for a long-lost acquaintance.
- The Mail That Stopped Coming to Puget Sound
For more than ten days no mail arrived from California or the Atlantic states. Steilacoom’s editor blamed a federal order in San Francisco and wondered how long the town could keep publishing.
- The Day the Steamers Left Puget Sound
An 1861 Steilacoom editor warns that losing ocean steamship service will isolate Washington Territory and strangle its growth.
- A Runaway from the Olympia Jail
A man named Simmons, recently confined in the Olympia jail, has been spotted in Steilacoom.
- A Frontier Call to Stand by the Union
Meeting in Steilacoom, Pierce County Republicans resolve to support the Constitution and condemn the removal of the Territorial Capitol.
- Establishing the Penitentiary's Pay
Legislators grapple with the cost of housing inmates at the Steilacoom jail while the permanent penitentiary site remains a mystery.