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 |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 7 |
| 1877 | 7 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 37 |
| 1884 | 21 |
| 1885 | 30 |
| 1886 | 16 |
| 1887 | 59 |
| 1888 | 27 |
| 1889 | 60 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 44 |
| 1892 | 220 |
| 1893 | 223 |
| 1894 | 200 |
| 1895 | 154 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 26 |
| 1903 | 54 |
| 1904 | 784 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 716 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1924 | 3 |
2,734 stories
- A Fierce Windstorm Batters Tacoma
An unusual east-northeast gale shakes the bluff, topples chimneys, and sends ships drifting across the harbor.
- The Pigeon Shoot That Turned Tacoma's Traps Into a Free-for-All
Seattle's Stevens outgunned Tacoma's Ed Barlow 85 to 76 before a roaring crowd, while side bets, civic rivalry, and a rogue band of skirmishers turned a genteel trap match into barely controlled chaos.
- Dynamite Found in Tacoma Jail Cell
Under Sheriff Paulhamus discovered a two-pound dynamite cartridge hidden in a window ledge, thwarting a suspected jailbreak attempt.
- A Stranger Gored Saving Women and Children at the Tacoma Driving Park
John Christer rushed a mad bull to shield a crowd of women and children. The animal tossed him with his entrails out, and doctors at Fannie Paddock hospital say inflammation will decide whether he lives.
- The Price of a Moment’s Forgetfulness at the Mill
After finishing his shift at the Tacoma mill, a worker suffered a horrific injury when he walked into the path of a circular saw.
- The War on 'Unethical' Dentistry
Tacoma dentists face prosecution for the crime of advertising and cutting prices in a state-led industry crackdown.
- Factory Fire Narrowly Avoids Catastrophe
A two-hour battle against a lumber kiln fire on Puyallup Avenue threatened to spark a larger blaze in the industrial district.
- Tacoma Joins the Pacific Coast League
Local baseball enthusiasts secure a spot in the big league and plan for a new stadium after the city demands the expansion of a street through their old grounds.
- South Tacoma’s Industrial Revolution
Northern Pacific Railway prepares to abandon steam for electricity in a shift that threatens the jobs of local coal-shoveling crews.
- Tacoma’s Clubwomen Launch First 'Homemakers' School'
Prominent local women seek to professionalize domestic labor through a new technical curriculum, even as they face a citywide housing crunch.
- The Coldest Commute in Tacoma
Commuters express outrage as the local transit company forces passengers to brave midwinter rain on open-air 'summer' streetcars.
- The Battle for the City’s Curbing Costs
Tacoma property owners fight to shift the burden of street improvement costs from private shoulders to the city's general fund.
- The Jailbreak at the County Courthouse
A prisoner awaiting trial vanishes from the Pierce County jail while under the watch of guards, witnessed by curious onlookers from the courthouse windows.
- The Seamen’s Friend Society Reports a Year of Maritime Ministry
A look back at the Tacoma Seamen’s Friend society's year of shipboard outreach, social gatherings, and the solemn loss of a long-time leader.
- The Price of Progress: Who Should Pay for City Streets?
Tacoma’s City Council debates whether property owners or the general public should shoulder the cost of local infrastructure improvements.
- A Treasure Trove for Tacoma
Curator W.H. Gilstrap pushes to bring an expansive collection of Klickitat artifacts to Tacoma to preserve local Indigenous history.
- The Sting at the Pier
Two Tacoma residents were ensnared in a federal bribery trap set by immigration inspectors at the docks.
- The Fight Over Tacoma’s Public Utilities
City Controller Lister defends the administration’s plan to earmark utility profits for bond repayment rather than immediate rate cuts.
- The Neighborhood Fight for X Street
Ninety property owners push back against a city council street-paving plan, winning a temporary victory against the municipal machine.
- Tacoma’s Japanese Residents Organize War Aid
As tensions mount between Japan and Russia, Tacoma’s Japanese community mobilizes to send funds and volunteers to support the war effort.
- Smugglers to Face Federal Grand Jury
Two men accused of transporting Chinese passengers via sloop await trial in Tacoma following their arrest by the revenue cutter Arcata.
- The Lonely End of an Umbrella Mender
After refusing medical aid and struggling in solitude, an elderly man dies in his downtown shop.
- City Moves to Protect Water from Clover Creek Pollution
Public Works Commissioner Clark orders the removal of privies and manure heaps threatening Tacoma's water supply.
- The City's 'Souvenir' Epidemic
Tacoma restaurants struggle with a wave of thefts as society women and girls make off with hotel silverware as mementoes.
- The Great Tacoma Land Sell-Off
Pierce County commissioners auction 1,250 lots to plug budget holes, betting on future speculation.