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 | 3 |
| 1883 | 56 |
| 1884 | 25 |
| 1885 | 43 |
| 1886 | 26 |
| 1887 | 70 |
223 stories
- Northern Pacific Piles Block Commencement Bay Landing
Business owners clash with the Northern Pacific Railroad over the blocking of a vital waterway, forcing a community to fight for their access to the harbor.
- The Struggle for Tacoma Avenue
When the city of Tacoma withheld payment from contractors Cadwell & Vesey, labor tensions boiled over into a stand-off, highlighting the recurring fight to ensure workers get paid for their toil.
- The Great Fourth of July Fireman’s Brawl
A celebratory fire competition in Tacoma turned sour as fire companies from across Washington Territory clashed over disputed rules and near-riotous crowds.
- The Hop Harvest: A Seasonal Tug-of-War
As hop growers in the Puyallup and White River valleys race to harvest before the rains, a debate stirs over the reliance on Indigenous and migrant labor versus the desire for white, school-aged workers.
- The Strange Disappearance of Ollie Young’s Reputation
A man from the Puyallup Valley confronts the Chief of Police to clear a young woman's name after scandal-filled letters appear in a Tacoma newspaper.
- The Collapse of a Workingman's Dream
A bold attempt at worker-owned enterprise in Tacoma ends in financial failure and legal recriminations.
- The Betrayal of a 'Friend' in Tacoma
A classic story of a land deal gone wrong, where a trusted drinking buddy pulled the rug out from under an investor’s feet.
- The Lobby Shootout: A Political Brawl in Tacoma
When an ex-mayor and a police chief faced off in a hotel lobby, tensions over local politics and public reputation turned into a chaotic, pistol-waving standoff.
- A Violent Escalation at the Train Station
A drunken horse trade between two men in Steilacoom turns into a public shooting, leaving a man wounded and the assailant on the run.
- The Sudden Passing of a Sound Pioneer
A prominent attorney and former Steilacoom citizen collapses and dies aboard a train en route to California.
- A Warning to Job-Seekers in New Tacoma
A desperate laborer cautions newcomers against the hollow promises of the growing rail boom in New Tacoma, where public work is diverted to outsiders while locals starve.
- The Great Hop Rush of the 1880s
Boosterism and labor anxiety collide as Washington Territory's hop production booms in Pierce and King Counties.
- A Fiery Catastrophe at the Tacoma Mill
A newly installed furnace at the Tacoma Mill overheated with such intensity that its massive iron stack melted and collapsed, narrowly missing the workers nearby.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Autonomy
Citizens of Old Town successfully revolt against a legislative push to consolidate the region into a single city, fearing the loss of local school and post office funds.
- Stuck Up on the Road to Tacoma
A rider is held at gunpoint just outside of Tacoma in a bold midnight robbery.
- The Lawyer and the Hermit
A prominent attorney faces felony charges for allegedly withholding pension funds from an elderly veteran living in near-total isolation.
- The Tragic End of a Nurseryman
After struggling with delirium tremens, a once-respected Tacoma horticulturalist takes his own life while under the care of the county sheriff.
- A Bitter Business Rivalry Ends in Court
An accusation of boat theft between former business partners in Whatcom reveals a long-standing feud and allegations of 'cinching'.
- The Women’s Crusade Against Vice
Twenty-five prominent Tacoma women demand the city council clear out gambling houses and houses of ill-repute, citing the city charter and moral degradation.
- The Fight for Gig Harbor Timber
A local settler exposes a land-grabbing ring in Pierce County, accusing them of fraudulent timber claims.
- Tacoma's railroad 'patron saint' gets a cannon salute
New Tacoma serenaded Northern Pacific director C.B. Wright—and the Post-Intelligencer noted that Seattle had not always been his favorite town.
- The Forgotten Fortune in the Chapin Mine
A Tacoma man claims he was cut out of a million-dollar mineral discovery that sparked a heated legal battle in the Washington Territory.
- The Night the Milton Sawmill Burned
A late-night inferno consumes local businesses and a storehouse, leaving a rural community in financial ruin with no insurance to soften the blow.
- The Fight Over Northern Pacific Land Grants
A high-stakes political battle in the U.S. Senate over land worth thousands of dollars per acre near Puyallup.
- The Mystery of the Ice-Forming Caves
A scientific inquiry into why midsummer ice forms in the lava tunnels of the Washington wilderness.